- Completion and equipping of the first phase of the Sh6.2bn Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital has been allocated Sh510,334,369.
- The stalled Malava milk processing plant, one of the flagship projects, was not allocated funds.
Image: HILTON OTENYO
Health has been allocated the lion's share in the proposed Sh16.158 billion Kakamega’s 2021-22 budget.
If approved, health will get Sh4,849,769,455, translating to 30 per cent of the budget. Estimates indicate this is a 4.36 per cent increase from the 2020-21 approved budget.
The estimates have been presented to the county assembly for consideration.
In the proposed allocations, some of the departments where flagship projects by the county are domiciled are the biggest gainers.
Health is followed by agriculture, which has been allocated 10 per cent of the budget at Sh1,617,125,501 and the public service with Sh1,434,676,386.
To finance the budget, the county intends to raise Sh12,389,413,168 from equitable revenue share, Sh2 billion from own sources, Sh691,090,920 from conditional grants, and another Sh965,400,461 from the exchequer balance brought forward.
Completion and equipping of the first phase of the Sh6.2 billion Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital has been allocated Sh510,334,369 and another Sh60 million for Universal Health Care under the National Hospital Insurance Fund.
Completion and equipping of the stalled Shamakhubu Level 4 Hospital was allocated Sh35 million while construction of Butere County Hospital was allocated Sh100 million.
The Social Services and Sports department got Sh919,454,656 for development out of which Sh725,484,656 will go towards completion of the second and third phases of the Bukhungu Stadium. The facility is undergoing an upgrade to international standards.
The county has allocated Sh50 million for sugarcane development subsidies. This is meant to boost cane development and spur the revival of the troubled Mumias Sugar Company, which is under receivership.
The stalled Malava milk processing plant, one of the flagship projects, was not allocated funds. The Shinyalu tea factory, which also stalled, was not allocated funds.
The county has allocated only Sh5 million for tea development.
Roads got Sh1,249,650,140 and Sh738,582,525 for water, environment, natural resources and climate change.
Education got Sh1,237,310,125 out of which Sh581,110,464 will be used for development.
Finance, economic planning and ICT executive Beatrice Sabana said the county was committed to a sound fiscal framework despite the economic challenges facing the country, especially as a result of the rampaging effects of Covid-19 pandemic.
“To achieve this fiscal discipline, the expenditure level has been reasonably set, and further revenue enhancement measures put in place,” she said.
The county assembly's budget and appropriation committee is set to conduct public participation in the proposals starting Thursday at the Kakamega social hall.
Edited by A.N