The government on Monday approved the use of over Sh40 billion to cushion needy households.
The money will be used in urban areas from economic shocks following reduced activity in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The cash will be from funds raised from austerity measures effected at both national and county government levels, including cutting of international and domestic travel, and some Sh2 billion recovered proceeds of corruption.
Tracking coronavirus.
In the 2018/19 financial year, government ministries, agencies, and departments blew up Sh17.2 billion on domestic and foreign trips. Of this, the presidency, comprising President Uhuru Kenyatta’s office, Deputy President William Ruto and the Cabinet office, spent Sh704. 4 million on local travel and Sh196.6 million on foreign trips.
All the 47 devolved units, over the same time, spent Sh16.2 billion on foreign and local travel while Parliament alone gobbled up Sh6.6 billion on domestic aand foreign trips, making the legislature the single-largest spender on travel.
The economic package.
The economic package was announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta as the government seeks to block the movement of people outside the Nairobi metropolitan area as well as Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale counties.
President Kenyatta told the nation from State House, Nairobi.
As we scale up our interventions against the current health pandemic, I direct the National Treasury to utilise the Sh2 billion of already recovered corruption proceeds to support the most vulnerable members of our society, especially the needy in our urban areas. Our fight in this area continues.
As of Monday, there were 158 confirmed cases in Kenya with six deaths.
(H/T Daily Nation)