Health and School Feeding Programme have emerged the biggest winners in Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s proposed first budget.

The Health department has been allocated Sh9.95 billion as highlighted in the County Fiscal Strategy Paper CFSP 2023.

Sh9.95 billion will cater for the much-awaited establishment and operationalise the school feeding program for learners in public primary schools and ECDC centers, establish a cancer treatment centre at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital.

The health allocation is part of the Sh40.77 billion budget for the next financial year 2023-24. It comprises Sh28.78 billion for recurrent and Sh11.99 billion for development expenditures.

The new budget is a slight increase from the current financial year, which is Sh39.63 billion.

Sakaja’s proposed budget is deemed the highest budget ever since devolution.

In his first budget, the county assembly has been allocated Sh3.25 billion for its operations which is a decrease compared to Sh3.7 billion which was allocated in the current year. The Finance and economic planning sector which is mandated to ensure prudent public finance management has been allocated Sh6.09 billion.

Ward development

This is inclusive of the Ward Development Fund Programme (WDF) which has been moved to this sector. For the WDF, the allocation has shot up to Sh2.027 billion from Sh1.6 billion.

“There is need for the Finance Sector to religiously report on how it has helped the county ensure there is fiscal discipline in the management of public resources, adherence to approved budgets, inventory management, ensuring compliance with accounting standards as well as promoting effective use of public resources,” reads the CFSP paper.

 The County Public Service Board has been allocated Sh137.4 million for the implementation of sector priorities, which is a decrease from Sh191.1 million in the FY 2022-23.

In order for Nairobi to set up public transport facilities, upgrade traffic management system, reduce congestion, pedestrialisation of streets and improvement of junctions, the Mobility and Works Sector has an allocation of Sh3.59 billion.

Affordable housing

In his plan to prioritise provision of decent, affordable housing, promotion of orderly urban development and upgrade informal settlements, Sakaja has proposed Sh358 million for the built Environment and Planning Sector.

To initiate the Green Nairobi Project which targets planning trees among other plans, Sh 3.53 billion has been proposed for the Green Nairobi Sector.

The sector consists of the Food and Agriculture, Environment as well as Water & Sanitation sub-sectors.

The Emergency Fund has been allocated Sh350 million to ensure that the revolving fund is always replenished and managed in line with the Public Finance Management Act, 2012. The Office of the Governor is expected to utilize Sh300 million.

Initially, in the other regimes, the governor’s office used to have a high budget since it consisted of five sub-sectors of administration, legal services, audit and risk management, disaster management and security and compliance.

However, under Sakaja’s administration, each sub-sector has been allocated its budget where security and compliance has a budget of Sh2.1 billion, the office of the county attorney—Sh859.2 million, administration and boroughs—Sh1.8 billion and sh104.3 million for audit and risk management.

The disaster management and coordination sector has been allocated Sh628 million. To increase access and retention to quality ECDE Centres, Sh22.48 billion has been allocated to the Talent, Skills Development and Care Sector.