Two billion shillings recovered in the fight against corruption will be used to cushion Kenyans against the adverse effects of coronavirus, President Uhuru Kenyatta said yesterday.

He, at the same time, warned that the fight against the vice is still on.

Addressing the nation at State House in Nairobi yesterday, the President directed the National Treasury to channel the funds collected through the Assets Recovery Agency, to the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund created last week through his order.

“As we scale up our interventions against the current health pandemic, I direct the National Treasury to utilise the Sh2 billion already recovered corruption proceeds to support the most vulnerable members of our society,” the President said.

The Head of State said despite the pandemic, the fight against graft has yielded fruit, adding: “our fight in this area continues.”

Uhuru also revealed that savings  from scale-down of government operations will boost efforts to tame the spread of the virus.

Cash saved from salaries cut and allowances will be used to acquire face masks, medical supplies and specialised equipment.

The cash, he said, should also be used to support the most vulnerable members of the society through provision of water and food items and in support of any other initiatives in the war against Covid-19, whose infections in the country stand at 158. 

“I direct the Nairobi Metropolitan Service to expand their provision of free water to all our informal settlements,” said the president.

Further, he ordered Treasury to appropriate all domestic and international travel budgets for all state agencies within the Executive, the Judiciary, the Legislature and the County governments; and to re-allocate them to combating the virus.

“As a Government, we will continue to take the necessary measures to cushion Kenyans against the impact of the current pandemic,” he said.