The government has been put on the spot over the expenditure of billions allocated for the fight against Covid-19.
According to the breakdown of the Sh1.3 billion spent so far, it is evident the government has some allocations on nondescript expenses such as snacks.
While there are justifiable allocations/expenditures, the government should be extra careful not to be seen to be using the money on non-priority areas.
Doing so will undermine the commendable efforts by Kenyans, corporates and donor countries and institutions, who have united to raise funds to assist in containing the spread of coronavirus.
State agencies must also not fight over the control of the money. Already, there are reports that the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the National Influenza Centre are embroiled in a tug of war over who has the right to lead the war against coronavirus.
This has led to a delay in the utilisation of about Sh6 billion received by the government from the World Bank. Such disagreements should be addressed urgently as they will easily undermine the fight against the virus and can lead to rapid spread across the country.
What Kenyans are demanding is the unity of purpose, transparency and accountability on the use of every coin received. As part of ensuring transparency, the government should constantly update Kenyans on what it has received and how it has been used.
