Members of Parliament are set to reap big with the increase of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund and National Government Affirmative Action Fund by more than Kshs10 billion beginning July.
The Budget and Appropriation Committee has proposed that CDF be allocated a maximum of Kshs53 billion from the current Kshs44 billion. For women representatives, the amount is set to increase from the current Kshs2 billion to Kshs3 billion.
BAC chairperson and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro said the increase in the NG-CDF and NGAAF is to enable the lawmakers to take care of the needs of their constituents.
The Budget and Appropriation Committee has further set budget ceilings for President William Ruto’s office at Kshs8.1 billion, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s office at Kshs4.6 billion while Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s office budget has been capped at Kshs2 billion.
The budgets for the three top offices have been slashed by Kshs8.3 billion to Kshs14.7 billion, way below the Sh23 billion allocated to the presidency in the current budget.
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Funding for the Judiciary will also increase to Kshs22.9 billion from the current Ksh18.9 billion. Parliament has been allocated a maximum of Ksh40.4 billion from the Sh38.8 billion, which was allocated this financial year. MPs have also resolved that county governments’ equitable share be approved at Kshs385.4 billion.
The National Assembly has further resolved that the country’s borrowings to fund the budget deficit would be balanced at 50 percent each for external and domestic sources.
In line with the shift of policy which saw the police budget set aside from that of the Internal Security and National Administration, the National Police Service has been allocated Kshs107 billion.
This has seen the Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki-led Interior department remain with Kshs28.6 billion as its budget for the next financial year.
The Defence ministry’s budget has been pegged at Kshs171 billion, which translates to Kshs40 billion more compared with the current year’s provisions.
The education budget is set to increase by Kshs33 billion in the provision of Kshs27 billion for TVET, Kshs116 billion for higher education, and Kshs134 billion for Basic Education. The increment is separate from that of the Teachers Service Commission whose budget has also been increased by Kshs30 billion to peak at Kshs322 billion.
The Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro-led committee said the additional allocation aligned with the President’s pledge. The recommendations of BAC are contained in its report on the Budget Policy Statement.
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