The President made the promises at road stopovers while inspecting projects.
Treasury did not allocate any money to the multibillion interventions Ruto promised to health facilities during his countrywide tours.
In a document tabled in Parliament by Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai, the seven projects in seven counties received zero allocations in the 2024-25 budget.
Parliament is currently considering the budget for the coming financial year.
The goodies – according to ministry documents - range from Sh50 million to Sh5 billon.
In most instances, the orders put Cabinet Secretaries and senior accounting officers in a tight corner as they could not publicly contradict their boss.
They would then try to comply with the orders fully, despite not having the requisite budget.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Health Committee, Kimtai pleaded with the committee to consider allocating the money to implement the presidential directives.
The committee is chaired by Endebes MP Robert Pukose.
“The state department is in receipt of various correspondences from the Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service requesting the department to implement various presidential directives,” Kimtai told the committee.
Despite relaying the same to Treasury, the PS said no allocation was made to the projects.
“The state department has forwarded these requests for funding to the National Treasury for consideration but they have not been funded,” the PS said.
“The total amount required for the presidential directives is Sh8.254 billion.”
The development now gives credence to claims of failed promises that the current administration is accused of.
The opposition has in the past accused President William Ruto’s government of reneging on its campaign promises to Kenyans.
Some of the mega-projects missing from the budget include Sh5 billion to Mombasa county for upgrading of Coast General Hospital to level six.
Ruto, who had traversed the country promising goodies to regions, also promised Sh3 billion for the construction of a modern hospital at Ortum in West Pokot.
The state department made a request to Treasury for financing of the project via a letter dated May 2, 2024, but no allocation was granted.
In December 2022, months after assuming power, the President visited Tharaka Nithi county and pledged Sh100 million to upgrade Chuka County Referral Hospital to level five.
On December 19, 2022, Chief of Staff Felix Koskei wrote to the state department communicating the directive, which has also not been funded.
The upgrade was to enable the hospital have high dependency and intensive care units.
Some of the promises that have not been funded include the equipping and improvement of Chepkemel and Chepsaita dispensaries in Uasin Gishu county.
The upgrade of the two dispensaries was to cost Sh40 million.
In Kwale county, Ruto said his administration would pump Sh50 million for construction of an ICU at Kinango Level 4 Hospital.
Ruto’s promise of Sh50 million to complete construction works for a trauma centre in Kirinyaga county also appears to have been left out by the Treasury.
The same is the case in Siaya county, where the President promised to have Sh50 million allocated for the construction of the Urenga Level 3 Hospital.
Executive orders were common during the late President Daniel Moi’s 24-year rule between 1978 and 2002.
Some of Moi’s directives later ended in protracted legal battles.
For instance, Moi gave out 420 acres of forestland (Kamiti Forest) belonging to Kenya Forest Service to displaced families in Rift Valley following the 1992 post-election violence.
The matter was challenged in a court case pitting KFS against the beneficiaries, Kamiti Forest Squatters Association and Kamiti Development Association among others.
Since Moi exited the political stage in 2002, successive presidents have promised not to issue roadside declarations but end up doing so.
Upon coming to office in 2022, Moi’s successor President Mwai Kibaki officially declared an end to roadside proclamations.
At the Health Committee, PS Kimtai cautioned that implementation of key services such as the Social Health Insurance Fund, procurement of HIV-Aids drugs, family planning as well as free maternity services may be affected by a slew of budget cuts.
According to Kimtai, the implementation of the return to work formula between doctors and the Ministry of Health may be hampered by budgetary limitations.
The MoH got Sh100 billion even though it had made the case for Sh319 billion, meaning Sh219 billion was chopped off its budget proposals.
The MPs questioned the logic of cutting a huge budget of one of the crucial ministries in the country.
Nyeri town MP Duncan Mathenge questioned the government’s commitment to implement the new health model in the face of the budget cuts.
"What are we telling Kenyans about this? Is the amount left really able to fund this? We have been telling Kenyans about this and we have even gone ahead and deducted money from salaries,” Mathenge said.
Seme MP James Nyikal questioned how the fund would work following the deduction of the vote by more than Sh100 billion.
"I am wondering how this Social Health Insurance Fund will work. Kenya Kwanza came up with this model. We need to be told how to move because as of now it leaves us not sure about what is going to happen in future," he said.
Nandi Woman Rep Cynthia Muge, while questioning the cuts, wondered whether the government was actually killing the Social Health Insurance Fund.
The Nandi lawmaker also protested reduction of maternal health funding after it emerged that the government will not after all cater for all pregnant mothers.
The lawmakers were responding to documents tabled by Medical Services Principal Secretary Kimtai detailing various crucial sectors that have suffered budget cuts.
