Low expectation among Kenyans as CS Yattani reads 2021/22 Budget

K-Fish proprietor Nelson Babu displays fish to some customers who walked into his Pipeline shop on Thursday, June 10. [Mireri Junior, Standard]

There is a low expectation ahead of the 2021/2022 Budget reading with most Kenyans saying the huge allocations to various sectors of the economy will never benefit them.

 Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani is reading the Sh3.6 trillion budget to the public in Parliament today.

K-Fish proprietor Nelson Babu told The Standard said Kenya’s budget is academic and has never been actualised to benefit Kenyans or the sectors earmarked to receive the huge allocations.

 “To me, this budget is for those in power, now they tell us Teachers Service Commission has been allocated Sh281.7 billion yet our schools lack teachers. Where does the money go every financial year? He posed.

Babu said the 2020-2021 budget estimates have left the ordinary Kenyan on their own, citing the move to raise taxes on basic commodities.

“There is Covid-19 pandemic, people have lost jobs, but still they want to raise prices of basic commodities like bread and milk,” said Babu.

Another Kenyan, Kennedy Muguga, a teacher by profession hailed the budget for giving more money to TSC, saying he hoped he will be employed this time around.

“I have been out for six years since graduating, yet you hear there is a shortage of teachers. I hope the Sh281.7 billion will hire more teachers,” he said.

Jackson Obunga, a Nairobi resident, wondered why there was a budget when the price of everything was going up.

“Fuel prices are up, electricity token prices are up, the prices of refilling gas cylinder are up and you still hear them talk about increasing milk and bread prices, they want to kill us,” he said.

Obunga said with the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenyans are likely to suffer more should the country experience the fourth wave.

But Economist Duncan Otieno told The Standard that despite appearing like it is not a pro-poor Kenyans budget, the Sh135 billion allocated to the Big Four Agenda projects will spur growth.

He also cited the Sh26.6 billion set aside for the post-Covid-19 economic recovery programme, the Sh40 billion earmarked for Agriculture and Food security, Sh10.4 billion set aside for irrigation and land reclamation as some positives sides of the 2021-2022 budget.   

According to the budget estimates, the Education ministry has been given the highest allocation at Sh202.86 billion followed by National Security Sh183.9 billion, Roads Sh182.5 billion, National Treasury Sh167 billion and Ministry of Health Sh121 billion.

Among independent agencies, TSC has been allocated 281.7 billion followed by the National Intelligence Service at Sh42.5 billion, Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission Sh14.5 billion and Office of the Auditor-General Sh5.9 billion.

The National Treasury has also proposed Sh1.29 trillion for the recurrent expenditure while development will get Sh666.5 billion.

Treasury has also projected a revenue collection of Sh2.039 trillion, an increase of Sh210 billion from the current financial year.

Out of the Sh2.039 trillion projections, Sh1.776 trillion is ordinary revenues.