Release Sh5 billion to help us fight Covid-19, Governors urge Treasury

Treasury is yet to release Sh5 billion President Uhuru Kenyatta announced would be to give to county governments towards fighting Covid-19.

And the county governments are also waiting for Sh353 million donated by the Danish Embassy to boost the capacities of level two and three health facilities in the devolved units.

Speaking to The Standard on phone yesterday, Council of Governors Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya asked Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani to speed up the release of the funds.

Mr Oparanya spoke as the latest Covid-19 data showed Kenya had hit 2,000 infections, echoing the need for counties to be properly prepared to deal with the novel virus. So far, he said there are 1,789 people in quarantine facilities in counties.

Quarantine facilities

“About 2,436 people who were confined in public quarantine facilities have been released after testing negative. This is good news for the county governments,” he said.

All the 47 counties are to get the funds through the Ministry of Health, which has been considered for additional conditional grants. 

This is after Parliament failed to amend the Budget so that the funds can be appropriated, a matter noted by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe in a letter dated May 14 to Yatani.

“It is noted that the amendment (to the Supplementary Estimates No II Appropriation Bill to provide for the additional funding of Sh5 billion) was not approved by Parliament,” noted the CS.

This, therefore, means the funding has not been factored in the Budget as planned, which Oparanya argues could derail the funds allocation. Mr Kagwe is on record as saying counties will get the cash through a conditional grant budget awarded to the Ministry of Health.