Budget 2023-2024: How Health, Education ministries fared

Tresury CS Njuguna Ndung'u reads the 2023/2024 budget in parliament on Thursday, June 15. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung'u has proposed an allocation of Sh141.2 billion to the Health docket.

While delivering the budget for the financial year 2023/24 in Parliament on Thursday, June 15, Ndung'u proposed that Sh18.4 billion go towards the Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) and Sh3.7 billion towards the Covid-19 emergency response project.

Sh4.1 billion will be disbursed to cater for free maternity healthcare and Sh1.7 billion medical cover for the elderly and the severely disabled persons in the society.

In a bid to lower cases of HIV, malaria and TB, the government has proposed a further Sh24.8 billion allocation under the global fund and Sh4.6 billion to enhance vaccines and immunization programmes.

Additionally, the government has also proposed the allocation of Sh1.9 billion for the construction of a cancer centre at Kisii Level 5 Hospital.

"This will help promote early diagnosis of cancer and reduce burden of management among Kenyans," said Ndung'u.

More funds have also been allocated to strengthen cancer centre management at the Kenyatta National Hospital and Sh155 million for regional cancer centres.

Education

The Education sector has been allotted a total of Sh628.6 billion.

Of this, Sh12.5 billion has been set aside for Free Primary Education (FPE) and Sh65.4 billion for the Free Day Secondary Schools including insurance under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Sh25.5 billion will cater for Junior Secondary School (JSS) capitation while Sh5 billion will go towrds examination fee waiver.

At the same time, Sh4.8 billion will be used for the recruitment of 20,000 intern teachers and Sh1 billion for the promotion of teachers.

Another Sh1.3 billion will go towards training teachers on the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) and Sh400 million for the Digital literacy program and ICT integration in secondary schools.

The government has also proposed a further Sh4.9 billion for the school feeding program and Sh940 million provision of sanitary towels.