Treasury earmarks Sh3b for disaster management

The State has mooted a disaster management fund that will be used to prepare and cushion the country against disasters.

The National Treasury yesterday unveiled the Public Finance Management (Standing Disaster Management Fund) Regulations 2020 that will create a multi-billion shilling fund to cater for humanitarian, economic and environmental disasters.

“The fund shall facilitate disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery, and provide a common basket for disaster fund to facilitate faster, transparent, predictable and accountable disbursement of funds for disaster management,” explains the regulations in part.

The fund will draw financing from Treasury, with approval of parliament, grants and donations, as well as income generated from economic activities.

Treasury has already earmarked Sh3 billion as seed capital for the fund for the 2021/2022 financial year. The regulations will see a maximum of 60 per cent of the disaster fund used for response and mitigation, 20 per cent for disaster preparedness and 17 per cent for recovery.

The new regulations come at a time the country is reeling from rising cases of the Covid-19, with more than 70,800 reported cases and more than 1,200 deaths.

Last April the government unveiled the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund to marshal resources for the pandemic response. The fund was boosted by donations from external entities, the private sector and individual Kenyans. The State has, however, been criticised for failing to provide adequate disclosure on disbursement and use of the funds, amid concerns over mismanagement.

In August, the Ombudsman directed Ministry of Health and county officials to make public information regarding the cash collected and their utilisation