• Government sets aside Sh450.9 billion for Big 4 and its enablers.
• UHC gets 47.8 billion with an additional of Sh7.9 billion from Sports Fund.
Image: ENOS TECHE
The government has allocated Sh450.9 billion to cater for President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big Four Agenda in the 2019/20 financial year.
In the budget proposal tabled on Thursday in Parliament, Treasury CS Henry Rotich said the Universal Health Coverage had been prioritised in the allocation.
“Ministry and departments were required to align their budget proposals to the Big Four Agenda. The government remains committed to the realisation of the same and that is why I have allocated Sh47.8 billion to cater for all activities related to the Universal Health Care,” he said.
According to Rotich, the amount will cater for scaling up the initiatives to the rest of the counties and National Health Insurance for the elderly.
Rotich said some Sh7.9 billion had been allocated from the sports budget to cater for UHC programs.
"I have allocated Sh3.9 billion to cater for doctors, nurses and clinical officer’s internship programs, Sh14.4 billion to Kenyatta National Hospital and Sh2.9 billion to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital,” Rotich said.
He said another Sh2.3 billion has been allocated to the Kenya Medical Research Institute and Sh7.4 billion to the Kenya Medical Training Centres.
Some Sh1.2 billion will cater to health workers internship programs.
Rotich said the government is optimistic that the revival of Rivertex textile industry will also go a long way in realisation of the Big Four.
He said he has allocated Sh1.1 billion for the revival of other textile industries and Sh1.7 billion for SME growth in the manufacturing sector.
“The government has put robust mechanism in place to reform existing agricultural policies to enhance food and security,” he said.
He said the Strategic Food Reserve will have enough funds to buy food reserves and intervene by supporting farmers access inputs in a reformed arrangement.
“I have set aside Sh2 billion for the National value chain support programs, Sh3 billion for Coffee chery fund and Sh2.1 billion has already been spent to clear pending debts for cane farmers,” he said.
With regards to affordable housing, Rotich said the government has set aside some Sh10.5 billion for Social Housing which includes construction of affordable housing units for police and Kenya Prisons.
This he said would include some Sh2.3 billion for public mortgage housing scheme.
Rotich said with regards to Infrastructural developments, the government has set aside Sh180.9 billion which will cater to major road developments and rehabilitation of all the expired roads.