Key sectors to benefit from this year’s budget

Transport, security, education, power distribution, health, and housing sectors are the main gainers in this year’s budget.

In the budget ceilings for the 2024/25 financial year released in Parliament yesterday, the state Department of Transport has been allocated Sh221.9 billion.

In the education sector, Sh144.4 billion has been allocated with secondary education receiving Sh105.8 billion which will go towards Junior Secondary schools. Primary education has been allocated Sh27.7 billion.

Internal security

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been allocated Sh369.9 billion which will be used to employ over 20,000 new teachers. Others are the State Department of Higher Education, Sh131 billion, and university education, Sh130.2 billion. The Technical Vocational Education and Training has been allocated Sh30.4 billion.

In the security area, the Budget and Appropriations Committee has allocated Sh200.7 billion to the Ministry of Defence, Internal Security and National Administration, Sh35.3 billion, and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) has been allocated a whopping Sh46.8 billion.

To address the issue of the issuance of important documents like passports and Identification cards, Sh15.8 billion has been allocated to the state department for Immigration and Citizens Services Management.

The state Department of Medical Services has been given Sh125.9 billion with Sh70.3 billion going to the National Referral and Specialised services, while Sh25.6 billion has been given to the Department for Public Health and Professional Standards.

In the housing sector which is key to the Kenya Kwanza government, Sh82.5 billion with Sh72 billion going towards housing development and human settlement.

The water sector has been allocated Sh67 billion, with Sh45 billion going to water and sewerage infrastructure development.

The committee has also considered the construction of stadiums and training grounds earmarked for upgrading and construction in preparation of the African Nations Championship and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Sh18.3 billion has been allocated.

Other allocations are, Sh9.2 billion to the State House, Sh5.4 billion to the Office of the President, Sh4.5 to the Office of the Deputy President, and Sh1.5 billion to the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been allocated Sh4.4 billion for the management of electoral processes and Sh32.8 million for the delimitation of electoral boundaries.

National Treasury, Sh152 billion, department of Economic Planning, Sh69.3 billion, Office of the Auditor General, Sh8.9 billion, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Sh3.6 billion, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Sh3.9 billion.

Moving the Budget Policy Statement, committee chairman Ndindi Nyoro said the country had seen quite an improvement in the exchange rate market. Out of the meticulous policies by parliament, and also the right government instruments, and also the Central Bank of Kenya.