Uhuru Hangs On To ‘Legacy Big 4 Projects’ In Final Budget

 

ile image of President Uhuru Kenyatta. PHOTO| PSCU

By Kepha Muiruri For Citizen Digital

The government's four-pronged agenda, popularly known as the Big 4 has remained at the centre of spending plans for the 2022-2023 budget.

This even as President Uhuru Kenyatta prepares to depart from office this August after ten years at the helm, half of which covered the implementation of the Big 4 Agenda projects.

The big four projects have seen a total allocation of Ksh.146.8 billion as Treasury amalgamates the legacy projects to the theme of this year’s budget - Accelerating Economic Recovery for Improved Livelihoods.

Universal Health Coverage is set to see the lion’s share of the ‘Big-4 Budget’ at Ksh.62.3 billion ahead of Food Security at Ksh.46.7 billion, Ksh.27.7 billion for Affordable Housing and Ksh.10.1 billion for manufacturing.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani has nevertheless made an admission to the slow progress of projects under the four pillars even as he ties the lack-lustre display of the legacy projects to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since 2017, the government has progressively implemented policies and programmes under the ‘Big Four’ Agenda to foster socio-economic development. However, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the implementation and full realization of the expected benefits,” he said.

The legacy projects are now expected to be aligned to the ongoing economic stimulus program as the government pushes to rid the economy of effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In contrast, projects specific to the third economic stimulus program have however been handed a share of just Ksh.20.6 billion to cover the extension of the Kazi Mtaani program, the subsidizing of fertilizer costs, the construction of new classrooms and the setting up of 50 new level-three hospitals.

During his presentation of the Ksh.3.3 trillion spending estimates on Thursday, the Treasury CS said the projected spending had taken into consideration key concerns by Kenyans.

“Key among the concerns were the high cost of living, high level of unemployment among the youth, income inequality and the public debt burden” added CS Yatani.

“We have noted that most of the concerns raised by Kenyans were associated with the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”