President Kenyatta has moved to slow down Deputy President William Ruto by allocating billions of shillings to strategic sectors the DP is using to show Jubilee has failed.
Notably, the Treasury on Thursday announced steps that would set in motion the elusive Judiciary Fund, a significant plank of the DP's anti-Uhuru narrative.
The President's decision to pump billions of shillings to small, medium and micro enterprises as well as a fair chunk of the budget to the Big 4 Agenda could deflate Ruto.
In the 2022-2023 budget unveiled by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani on Thursday, money has been allocated to create jobs.
The President's latest move could throw Ruto's messaging into disarray and send his strategists back to the drawing board, four months to the polls.
Ruto has accused Uhuru of crippling state institutions and capturing independent offices by denying them funds to carry out their mandate.
He has, for instance, alleged that the reason the Judiciary Fund was never activated by the Jubilee government was to ensure it does not have financial capacity to be independent.
“The under-funding of the Judiciary is deliberate,” Ruto said during a forum in London last month. “It is designed to weaken courts.”
He went on, "“Within 100 days of getting into office, we shall operationalise the Judiciary Fund so that we can give them financial independence to discharge their responsibility of making sure that criminals are booked behind bars and the corrupt find their place in jail,” the DP said at his party UDA’s national delegates conference in Kasarani last month.
The DP has made the Judiciary the centre of his presidential campaigns, insisting he will deliver independence to the courts and independent offices including the national police.
On Thursday, Yatani said the Judiciary Fund will be activated from July 1.
“The necessary procedures having been put in place," he said when he delivered the 2022-2023 budget in Parliament.
In particular, he said, the Judiciary Fund Act and regulations have been enacted and the bank accounts for the fund have been opened at the Central Bank of Kenya.
"An appropriate budget for the Judiciary has been created and IFMIS has been enhanced to accommodate Judiciary Fund operations,”he said.
Article 173 of the Constitution provides for the establishment of a kitty “to be known as the Judiciary Fund which shall be administered by the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary.”
“The Fund shall be used for administrative expenses of the Judiciary and such other purposes as may be necessary for the discharge of the functions of the Judiciary,” Article 173 (2) reads.
Following its enactment in 2010, the Constitution requires Parliament to enact laws to regulate the fund.
The President has also moved to reaffirm his commitment to the implementation of the Big 4 Agenda despite Ruto's attacks.
Appearing to slap the DP in the face, the National Treasury allocated Sh146.8 billion to the programmes.
The programmes will help the government create millions of jobs for the youth, roll out universal health coverage, ensure food security and revamp the manufacturing sector.
“To support implementation of the projects and programmes under the Big 4 Agenda I have proposed a total of Sh146.8 billion,” Yatani said.
The CS unveiled a Sh3.3 trillion 2022-23 budget in Parliament on Thursday.
Yatani read the budget in the wake of public outcry over tough economic times occasioned by shortage and sharp increase of prices of basic commodities.
Out of the Sh146.8 billion allocated to Big 4 Agenda, some ShSh62.3 billion will fund activities and programmes for the attainment of UHC.
They include insurance cover for the elderly and people with disability, free maternity, purchase of Covid-19 vaccines and servicing of the leased medical equipment under the managed equipment services scheme.
Affordable housing was allocated Sh27.7 billion, food security got Sh46.7 billion while job creation initiatives got Sh10.1 billion.
The DP has been claiming that the handshake paralysed government and disrupted the implementation of government agenda, including the Big 4.
In a renewed silent war against Ruto, Sh13.1 billion was set aside to empower the youth and support businesses owned by youth, women and persons living with disability.
Ruto, in his whirlwind campaigns, has been promising to revive the Big 4 Agenda and allocate Sh100 billion to housing, agro-processing and value addition.
These have anchored Ruto's bottom-up economic model campaigns while accusing Uhuru and Raila of despising the poor and the youth.
"We are saying our priority number one is to allocate Sh100 billion to plan jobs for our youth,” the DP said during a recent campaign in Nairobi.
Through housing alone, the DP has said he intends to create at least four million jobs every year to carter for the rising number of jobless youths.
The country’s second in command has also promised to rollout a UHC programme should be elected the president on August 9.
Every Kenyan, he said, would be required to enroll with National Insurance Hospital Fund, with those unable to pay monthly to be paid for by the government.
Treasury also promised to increase Credit Guarantee Scheme capital to Sh10 billion from the current Sh4 billion to enable more micro and small businesses access credit.
“Since the launch of the Credit Guarantee Scheme in December 2020, total loans extended to micro, small and medium enterprises under this scheme had surpassed Sh2.2 billion by December 2021,” Yatani said.
Ruto has fashioned himself as the only politician with the interests of the SMEs at heart.
In addition, Yatani allocated Sh20.6 billion to the economic stimulus programme Kazi Mtaani initiative and fertiliser subsidy.
Ruto has been saying that his administration would offer Sh50 billion for small business to rescue them from shylocks and high loan interest rates charged by financial institutions should he win the seat.
Further, the government allocated Sh46.7 billion towards enhancing food production and ensuring food safety.
“These measures include: supporting large scale production of staple food; expanding irrigation schemes; increasing access to agricultural inputs; and supporting small-holder farmers to sustainably produce and market various commodities,” Yatani said.
Food production has been at the core of Ruto's campaign pledges. He has said his administration will pump money into the agriculture sector to ensure the country is food secure.
Ruto, who has been accusing the government of politicising instead of institutionalising the fight on graft, was also left with egg in the face.
Treasury allocated Sh21.8 billion to the investigative agencies in a bid to empower them to fight graft and other criminal acts.
They include Sh3.6 billion for the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Sh3.4 billion for Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Sh8.54 billion for DCI and Sh6.4 billion for the office of the Auditor General.
“We shall continue to seek better public service delivery by building and sustaining strong, efficient and accountable institutions," Yatani said.
The DP has pledged to institutionalise the war against graft war by giving investigative agencies financial autonomy, especially the DCI, and space to fight the menace.
Edited by Henry Makori
