Treasury seeks Ksh.2B to fix damaged roads, reconstruct schools after floods

The National Treasury is seeking additional funds to mitigate the effects of the floods witnessed in the country over the last two months.

Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo, while appearing before the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, said Ksh.2 billion is required to rebuild and restore roads and schools affected by floods.

The PS told the committee that a further Ksh.1.8 billion will be allocated in the 2024 - 2025 budget for the restoration of school infrastructure. He however said an assessment will be undertaken to evaluate the full impact of the floods.

Kiptoo also told the committee that the Ksh.7 billion allocated to the contingencies fund was absorbed to address emergencies arising from the El Niño rains and that they have allocated the same to replenish the fund.

On the standoff between the National Assembly and Senate over the equitable share to counties in the next financial year, the committee Chairperson Ndindi Nyoro said they have reached a consensus and that the money has been raised from the previous proposal of allocation of Ksh.391 billion to Ksh.400 billion in a deal that also involved the Council of Governors.

“Out of the shareable revenue the equitable share that will be going into our counties is now captured in the report and it is Ksh.400.1 billion,” said Nyoro.

Kiptoo was however at pains to explain to MPs the proposed cuts on priority areas including the school feeding programme and why despite high taxation the tax man is unable to meet the set targets.

“We have budgeted Ksh.10 billion for trees, why can't we use this Ksh.10 billion which is rightly budgeted for, but in the wrong place?” Embakasi East MP Babu Owino posed.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee which has concluded its collection of views on the budget had earlier met with the Parliamentary Service Commission.