Education Sector Secures Major Funding in Revised Budget
The Teachers Service Commission, Parliament, State House, and the State departments of Housing, Education, Irrigation, Water, and Medical Services are the major beneficiaries of the revised budget estimates presented by the Finance and Planning Committee of the National Assembly, chaired by Ndindi Nyoro of Kiharu.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been allocated an extra Sh1.2 billion, resulting in a total allocation of Sh323.8 billion, making it one of the largest allocations in the Budget.
This increase was made to accommodate the planned recruitment of 35,000 teachers in the next financial year.
The Budget and Appropriations Committee has collectively reallocated Sh743.2 billion to various State departments in the estimates for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2023/ 2024.
The entire Budget could surpass Sh3.68 trillion, the highest amount in the country’s history, if lawmakers increase both recurrent and development expenditures.
The chairman of the Parliamentary Budget Committee, Ndindi Nyoro, has stated that the education sector will receive substantial funding increases in the upcoming budget.
While distributing bursaries to boarding school pupils from his constituency, Nyoro stated that Sh630 billion would be used to cover various education-related expenses.
Nyoro stated that Sh10 billion, or 30 percent of the money allocated to the national government, has been allocated for capitation for Junior Secondary schools in preparation for the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) next year.
He also stated that the Higher Education Loans Board (HeLB) would receive an increase from Sh15 billion to Sh30 billion.
The Kiharu MP also noted that additional funds have been allocated in the budget to employ 20,000 secondary and primary school instructors.
“There will also be money to employ tutors for Technical and vocational training institutes,” added Nyoro while addressing parents at Mumbi grounds where more than 5, 000 learners benefited with bursary cheques.
According to some sources, this could ultimately increase to Sh4.4 trillion when redemptions and aid allocations are considered.
The housing department’s budget allocation has been increased from Sh1.29 billion to Sh29.7 billion, a staggering increase of Sh28.4 billion.
Housing is of utmost importance to the Kenya Kwanza administration, and the increased allocation is part of a programme already launched by President William Ruto, which has sparked controversy over a proposal to deduct three percent of the salaries of formal sector employees to finance the Housing Fund.
MPs have increased their own allocation by Sh2.2 billion, from Sh39 billion in the initial budget to Sh41.2 billion in the revised budget that will be presented to the National Assembly the following week.
The funds will be used in part to finish the Bunge Towers, whose construction has been halted for years.
Education Sector Secures Major Funding in Revised Budget. TSC To Recruit 20,000 JSS Intern Teachers in the Next Budget
In the report presented by committee chairman Ndindi Nyoro, the allocation for the State department for roads has been increased from Sh82.8 billion to Sh166.8 billion. The department will now receive a total of Sh249.7 billion for the next fiscal year.
The allocations to the State department for Medical Services have been increased from Sh63 billion to Sh116.6 billion, an increase of Sh53.6 billion.
The massive increase was necessitated by the anticipated hiring of 44,400 community health workers in the upcoming fiscal year.
In addition, the State department of Water and Sanitation will receive Sh55.9 billion, an increase from the initial budget estimate of Sh5.5 billion.
This indicates the government’s intent to increase investments in residential irrigation and piped water supply.
In the education sector, significant adjustments have been made, with Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVETS) receiving an additional Sh7.6 billion on top of the initial Sh20.7 billion proposed. A portion of this funding is anticipated to increase enrollment and launch small businesses.
The Ruto administration is putting an emphasis on TVETs and has signaled its intention to build training centres in all 290 constituencies as well as digital centers in each TVET.
In addition, the allocation for the Department of Basic Education has been increased by Sh20 billion from the initial proposal of Sh127.6 billion. The department will now receive a total of Sh147,8 billion.
Primary education will receive an additional Sh11 billion to accommodate, among other things, the new Grade Seven classes, while secondary education will receive an additional Sh8.9 billion.
The department for Higher Education and Research will now receive Sh128.6 billion, up from the proposed Sh125 billion, while university education will receive an additional Sh3.5 billion, for a total of Sh127.5 billion.
Another area that the Kenya Kwanza administration has prioritized is irrigation, which has received a massive Sh23 billion increase in funding.
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The government intends to construct over 100 dams over the next five years to support irrigation farming and reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture. The increased allocation indicates the company’s intention to embark on this journey during the following fiscal year.
The National Treasury will be another significant beneficiary of the budget, as its allocation will be increased by Sh53.8 billion to Sh130.5 billion if the spending plan that the Treasury CS will read to the National Assembly next Thursday is approved by the House of Representatives.
State House will receive an additional Sh928,7 million, bringing its total budget to Sh7.3 billion.
MPs have increased the Department of Information and Communication Technology’s budget by Sh16,3 billion in order to finance the planned expansion of Internet connectivity by constructing 100 kilometers of fiber cable across the country.
The allocation has been increased from Sh3.8 billion to Sh20.2 billion.
The allocation of an additional Sh2.7 billion to the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services was necessitated by the intended introduction of the Universal Personal Identifier (UPI) number, which citizens will be required to use for life.
In addition, the Finance and Planning Committee has requested that the National Treasury expedite the review of pending bills and, in collaboration with the Auditor-General and the Controller of Budget, devise a legally binding framework to prevent the accumulation of pending bills.
The Treasury has been tasked with providing a report to the National Assembly by September 30.
MPs gave the Treasury until September 30 to lead the process of reviewing initiatives across all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in order to identify functions that are duplicated.
It is anticipated that Treasury will submit its report to the National Assembly.
Before submitting the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) for 2
024, the National Treasury will evaluate the viability of projects based on the quantity of allocated resources with the goal of eliminating projects with limited or no resources.
The report states, “This will ensure that each project is adequately funded and can be completed within the specified time frame.”
In addition, the committee imposed a three-month deadline on the State Department of Medical Services to provide a defined implementation framework for the hiring of 44,444 community health workers.
According to Nyoro, the budget anticipated to be presented to the National Assembly on June 15 will be worth Sh3.679 trillion.
Education Sector Secures Major Funding in Revised Budget
