Education gets huge allocation as Health budget slashed

Treasury CS Njuguna Ndungu reading the 2024/25 Budget highlights at Parliament on June 13, 2024 [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung'u has proposed an allocation of Sh656 billion of the total expenditure to the Education sector.

Ndung'u made the pronouncement on Thursday while tabling his second budget in parliament since the Kenya Kwanza administration came into office.

Of the proposed Sh656 billion, Sh358.2 billion will be allocated to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Sh142.3 billion to basic education, Sh128 billion for higher learning and research and Sh30.7 billion for technical and education training.

Additionally, free primary education was allocated Sh9.1b, Sh61.9 billion for free day secondary school, Sh30.7 billion for Junior Secondary School capitation and Sh5 billion for examination fee waiver.

Notably, the Cabinet Secretary proposed an allocation of Sh13.4 billion for the conversion of 46,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) interns to permanent and pensionable terms. A section of the JSS intern teachers, who were employed in 2019, were on strike over their employment terms.

A total of Sh1.3 billion was proposed for the training of teachers on Competence Based Curriculum and Sh360 million for the Digital Literacy program and ICT integration in secondary schools.

In the Health sector, the treasury allocated a total of Sh127 billion of the total expenditure. This is Sh20 billion less from funds allocated in the 2023/24 financial year.

A total of Sh4.1 billion was proposed for primary healthcare under the Universal Health Care (UHC).

"The government is committed and determined to realize the constitutional right to health by promoting access to quality and affordable health care through the UHC program,' said Ndung'u.

Treasury has also proposed a Sh861.5 million to cater for medical covers of the elderly, orphans and vulnerable Kenyans under the social healthcare plan.

In addition, Sh1.1 billion has been proposed for cancer management and diagnosis at the Kenyatta National Hospital and Kisii Level five Hospital.

"I have proposed 3.7 billion for medical interns, 406 million for training of health personnel," he said.

Following the presentation of the budget, it is expected to be approved by parliament by the end of June, the end of the 2023/24 financial year.