President Uhuru Kenyatta’s request to Parliament for extra cash this fiscal year is at the centre of political battles pitting him against Deputy President William Ruto.
This follows radical amendments by DP’s allies to remove the billions allocated to institutions with key functions in the forthcoming general election.
The changes target allocations to security agencies and constitutional bodies which the Kieni MP Kanini Kega-led Budget committee allocated billions.
The budget committee allocated Sh8.8 billion to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for the August 9 vote.
MPs also provided Sh1.25 billion to the National Intelligence Service for security operations during the electioneering period.
The Defence ministry was allocated Sh100 million for election preparedness and Sh1 billion in proceeds to the Political Parties Fund.
The Media Council of Kenya was allocated Sh288 million to enhance media monitoring during the elections and another Sh354 million for operations.
MPs also recommended an additional Sh300 million to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to boost their operations.
Also provided was Sh900 million for the recruitment of police officers, which has been ongoing in various parts of the country.
MPs also provided Sh100 million to the National Cohesion and Integration Commission for election monitoring.
The Interior ministry were provided with Sh500 million under the NIIMS project for the printing of Huduma Namba cards.
But some MPs, largely from the UDA side, want some of the allocations dropped in favour of what has been hailed as populist proposals.
In this regard, Garissa Town MP Aden Duale sought that allocations amounting to Sh75 billion, which the government wants approved after spending, dropped.
He said in the plenary on Tuesday that some of the allocations were in breach of Article 223 of the Constitution and exceeded the 10 per cent threshold set for such amendments.
Duale also said some of the expenditures for which the National Treasury sought approval were past time.
But the budget team dismissed the assertions, saying the "moves were a mere tactic to delay the approval of the estimates."
"It is not the first time we have varied programmes by more than 10 per cent. We can dig in the archives to find what Duale himself submitted to the House," Uriri MP Mark Nyamita, a member of the committee, said.
He said they have been inviting the Treasury to provide supporting documents for the approvals.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro also wants Sh1.25 billion allocated to the NIS deleted and the funds reallocated towards the purchase of subsidised fertiliser for maize farmers.
The lawmaker also proposed budget cuts to NCIC (Sh100 million), multiagency operations (Sh200 million), and Huduma Card (Sh500 million) in favour of fertiliser subsidy.
His Kikuyu counterpart Kimani Ichung’wa wanted the money allocated to the MCK reallocated to KBC (Sh100 million), Sh88 million to Konza Technopolis, and Sh100 million to Helb.
Dagoretti South’s John Kiarie sought to retain some Sh1 billion deducted from the construction of a railway line passing through Riruta.
Seven other MPs, from both sides of the political divide, have proposed changes to the Budget Committee report.
Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang’ sought to remove the Sh200 million which was allocated to government-sponsored students in private universities.
He proposed that Helb gets Sh150 million and Sh30 million to Bondo University leaving the targeted students with Sh20 million.
Langata MP Nixon Korir, a Ruto ally, also wants the report amended to reallocated the whole amount (Sh200 million) to Helb.
For his part, Tharaka MP Gitonga Murungara proposed that Sh100 million is retained for students in private universities and the remainder split equally between Chuka and Nairobi universities.
Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny also wants an additional Sh150 million for the Kenyatta University Hospital split and Sh50 million allocated to the Nursing Council of Kenya.
Kutuny further wants Sh100 million proposed for Kenya Medical Training College allocated to Kenyatta National Hospital.
Pokot South MP David Pkosing wants the report changed for Sh1.3 billion to go to low volume seal roads and Sh300 million for critical roads infrastructure.
Moiben MP Silas Tiren is also bidding for Sh1.3 billion additional cash to AFFA for subsidised fertiliser while Busia CWR Florence Mutua wants some Sh150 million allocated to Kenyatta University for pending bills reallocated to KISE (Sh100 million).
Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo also wants Sh800 million provided to Ketraco to cater to pending bills in the Larsen and Turbo interconnector, Sh139 million for transformers at constituencies and Sh550 million for electrification of public facilities.
Key projects, largely infrastructure, stand to be affected by the budget realignments.
In this regard, MPs have proposed that allocation to Kazi Mtaani programmes be reduced by Sh1 billion from Sh3.5 billion.
Allocations to the Livestock department have also been reduced by Sh1.4 billion as well as Sh1 billion for the Lenana – Ngong railway line and a further Sh2.5 billion for low volume seal roads.
The cuts have also affected the Digital Literacy Programme whose budget was reduced by Sh563 million while the construction of a neuropsychiatric hospital could delay with the proposed Sh500 million budget cut.
Also to be slashed is Sh1 billion for the construction of Level 3 hospitals, with Telkom Kenya set for a Sh2.2 billion budget boost and another Sh6.7 billion to fuel stabilisation.
MPs voted to increase this years' budget by Sh139,752,936,287.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
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