Education sector has been allocated KSh656.6 billion in the 2024/25 budget that was presented by National Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u before the National Assembly today afternoon.
The allocation to the Ministry of Education represents 27.6 per cent of the total budget KSh3.92 trillion which is Kenya Kwanza’s second budget since President William Ruto ascended to power on September 13, 2022.
The Service Teachers Commission got the lion’s share of KSh358.2 billion, followed by KSh142.3 billion for Basic Education then Higher Education and Research received KSh128 billion and KSh30.7 billion was allocated for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Treasury proposed KSh9.1 billion for free primary education, KSh61.9 billion for free day secondary education, KSh5 billion for exam fee waiver and KSh30.7 billion for Junior Secondary School capitation.
Also, it allocated KSh13.4 billion for conversion of 46,000 JSS interns into Permanent and Pensionable terms.
Prof Ndung’u said Treasury project total revenue collections to be KSh343.2 billion equivalent to 18.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Products (GDP). Total expenditure in the Financial Year 2024-25 budget is projected at KSh392 billion.
The fiscal deficit for Financial Year 2024-25 will be financed by net external borrowing of KSh333.8 billion and net domestic borrowing of KSh263.2 billion.
He said Kenya meets its obligations promptly and no debt arrears have been accumulated
“Government projects economy to grow at 5.5 per cent in Financial Year 2024/25, supported by ongoing interventions under Bottom-Up Economic Agenda,“ the Treasury CS said.
The CS revealed that Kenya’s economy created 848,200 new jobs in 2023, up from 816,600 in 2022 attributing the move to implemented policies.
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He added that the government is commitment to turn the housing challenge into an economic opportunity to create quality jobs for the youth directly in the construction sector and indirectly through the production of building products.
The government is committed and determined to realize the constitutional right to health by promoting access to quality and affordable health care through Universal Health Care programme.
Treasury proposed an allocation of KSh1.1 billion to strengthen cancer management at Kenyatta National Hospital. I have proposed KSh3.7 billion for medical interns and KSh406 million for training of health personnel.
This will be achieved through among other measures facilitating and delivery of 200,000 houses per annum.
Treasury proposed an allocation of KSh92.1 billion for housing urban development and public works and also proposed the allocation of KSh5 billion to the Agricultural sector
In order to move towards a balanced budget and further improve efficiency in public spending the government is curtailing spending on foreign travel, rationalization of all training expenses across government and restricting all training to take place within government institutions.
The government is also rationalising all purchases of motor vehicles and suspending purchases of furniture for a period of one year and suspending all refurbishments and partitioning of government offices.
By Obegi Malack
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