HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 1.7 TRILLION KENYAN 2014/2015 BUDGET.

The following are the highlights from the budget speech that was shared by the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, Henry Rotich, earlier today for the 2014/2015 financial year which starts in July.
Education
Education has been allocated a total of Ksh. 139 billion split as follows:
• Ksh. 28.2 bn for free day secondary education,
• Ksh 13.5 bn for free primary education.
• Ksh 17.4 bn for Laptop project to schools, development of digital content, building capacity of teachers and rolling out computer laboratories.
• Ksh 6.4 bn for technical training institutes
• Ksh 5.7 bn for higher education loans and
• KSh 55.0 bn for university education.
• KSh 0.4 for sanitary towels for girls in school
Infrastructure
Roads
• KSh 41.0bn allocated to on-going roads construction and KSh 10.0bn for new roads
• KSh 22.4bn for road maintenance
• KSh 42.3bn for foreign financed roads
• KSh 1.0bn for decongestion of road junctions in Nairobi
Railway
• KSh 19.4bn allocated for Standard Gauge Rail and KSh 3.5bn for the Urban Commuter Rail System to ensure completion of the line linking the JKIA to Central Railway Station.
Ksh 43.6bn has been allocated towards reducing the cost of energy. This money will be split in the following way:
• KSh 10.0bn for geothermal development,
• KSh 23.0bn for power transmission and
• KSh 10.6bn for rural electrification programme.
Ports
KSh 1.65bn has been allocated for on-going upgrading of Kisumu and Isiolo Airports, and construction of 3 new airports (Mandera, Malindi and Suneka) and KSh 0.6bn for replacement of ferries.
Security
The reform and modernization program that was started last FY has been allocated resources favourably and includes, among others, the following:
• Ksh 1.3bn for Police/AP houses
• KSh 1.6bn for Police Medical
• Insurance Scheme
• KSh 2.9bn for recruitment of 10,000 Police/APs
• KSh 1.8bn for anti-poaching
Health
Health sector has been allocated KSh 47.4bn in 2014/15 to enhance access and quality of health services.
To further support universal maternal health care, KSh 4.0bn has been allocated for free access to maternal health by mothers and KSh 0.7bn for free access to all health centres and dispensaries across the country.
The budget further provides for the following allocations:
• KSh 3.0bn forlease financing of health care equipment
• KSh 3.0bn for Kenya Medical Training Centres
• KSh 8.4bn for Kenyatta National Hospital
• KSh 5.2bn for Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital
• KSh 1.7bn for Kenya Medical Research Institute
• KSh 2.4bn for doctors/clinical officers/ nurses internship programme
• KSh 2.3bn for recruiting additional 5,000 teachers
• KSh 5.5bn for commuter allowance Phase II
• KSh. 2.0bn for promotion of teachers
• KSh 2.3 bn for school feeding programme
• KSh 0.67bn National Aids Control Council
• KSh 0.3 bn for slum health care programme

This year’s budget has also focused on the poor and vulnerable. Money has been allocated to them as follows;

• KSh 7.2bn for orphans and vulnerable children;
• KSh 4.9bn for elderly persons
• KSh 0.8bn for those with extreme disability
• KSh 0.3bn for other disabled persons
• KSh 0.3bn for street families
• KSh 0.5bn for insurance cover for persons under the social safety net programme