The development comes even as the lawmakers prevailed on the
Cabinet Secretary Debora Barasa and Principal secretaries Harry Kimutai
(Medical Services) and Mary Muthoni (Public Health) to free Sh3.4 billion from
the ministry’s budget to absorb more than 8,000 universal health coverage
workers.
Speaking during a heated meeting with the ministry officials
in Parliament yesterday, the senators flagged what they termed massive
duplication, “needless” allocations and allocation for functions meant for
county governments.
The lawmakers also identified huge allocations for
“presidential directive” projects – which, besides being county functions, are
largely skewed in favour of some counties.
According to senators, the allocations amount to wastage of
public money, thus the need for overhaul and audit of the budget.
“At this rate, we need to follow in the footsteps of (US
President Donald) Trump and establish the department of government efficiency
because there is a lot of wastage,” Narok Senator Ledama Olekina said.
“If the ministry cannot even explain this budget [then] it
is about time that we end this unnecessary wastage of public funds and focus
specifically on each of the programmes.”
The senators cited some Sh990 million allocated for the
construction of health facilities under the ambit of the county governments.
In yet another allocation, the ministry set aside Sh29
billion for county projects.
“There is a vote of D1082, which comprises Sh29 billion for
county projects which the state department is undertaking,” nominated Senator
Mariam Omar said.
PS Kimutai, through the chief finance officer of the
department, admitted the allocation, adding that they arose from the
presidential directives.
“Within the budget, the state department has received a
number of presidential directives which are facilities across all the counties
and they are levels 2, 3 and 4 hospitals,” he said.
“So, the allocation that has been put under that head vote
for county facilities, they relate to presidential directives across the
country.”
However, the senators raised concerns about the skewed
allocation for presidential directives, with Olekina citing Uasin Gishu, which
has been allocated Sh700 million and Turkana Sh70 million.
“The ones in the list that you are telling us are
presidential directives might not be presidential directives, but they are
there under the guise of a presidential directive,” the Health committee
chairman Jackson Mandago.
The ministry has also allocated close to Sh2 billion for the
payment of doctors who are employed by the counties.
“Payment of doctors is done through the payroll. How do you
pay doctors who are employed by the counties?” Mandago said.
Further, the lawmakers flagged what they termed abnormal
growth in the recurrent expenses of the ministry, with that of the State
Department of Medical services growing by 98 per cent in the last one year.
In the current financial year, the department has been
allocated Sh91 billion.
The agency is seeking Sh350 billion in the next fiscal year
but has been given Sh172 billion in the budget policy statement.
“If you survived with an allocation of Sh91 billion in the
current financial year, why is your requirement Sh350 billion? Do you need that
money, or are we putting in figures that are scaring for no good reason?”
Mandago added.
The senator said the ministry’s figures do not add up, as
they called for a complete overhaul of the budget.
“Schedule 4 of the Constitution is very clear. County
governments are attached the responsibility of county health services” Olekina
said.
