SGR gets lion's share of Budget allocation

A section of Standard Gauge Railway near Kitengela area along Mombasa road.[Elvis Ogina,Standard]

Projects under the transport and agriculture sectors have been allocated a big chunk of the 2021-2022 Budget.

The most allocation, according to the budget summary, is President Uhuru Kenyatta's legacy project, Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).

The Nairobi to Naivasha SGR section has been allocated Sh27.2 billion.

This project takes more than half of the Sh53.6 billion given to transport. The Lapsset project, a combination of projects that seek to connect Kenya’s coast to South Sudan and Ethiopia, has been allocated Sh4.5 billion while Mombasa Port Development will receive Sh7.5 billion.

Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone, which is a Vision 2030 project, has been allotted Sh8.3 billion.

The budget summary for 2021/2022 has development allocation at 34 per cent of the total expenditure, which is the government’s roadmap in the medium term.

The Treasury has also allocated Sh1.3 trillion for recurrent spending. Of the amount Sh20.8 billion is budgeted for the Public Service retirement scheme also known as Public Service Superannuation Scheme.

Further, Sh664.4 billion has been allocated under Development expenditure in the 2021/22 Budget. The expenditure includes an allocation to Parliamentary Service Commission and the Judiciary.

Under agriculture, Treasury has allocated Sh8.9 billion to the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP). The project is being implemented in partnership with World Bank.

“The development objective of KCSAP is to increase agricultural productivity and enhance resilience mechanisms to climate change risks in the targeted smallholder farming and pastoral communities in Kenya,” reads the information posted on the project’s website.

National Agriculture & Rural Inclusivity Project, which is also a World Bank and International Development Association (IDA) project has been allocated Sh7.1 billon. The project covers 21 counties and seeks to support community development by increasing productivity through the agriculture value chain.

Aquaculture Business Development Project and Kenya Marine Fisheries & Socio-Economic Development Project have been allocated Sh3.2 billion and Sh3.4 billion respectively.

Construction of affordable housing has been allocated Sh1.2 billion while phase II of the Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project has an allocation of Sh3.2 billion.

Manufacturing and industrialisation have been allocated Sh7.5 billion while Sh1.4 billion has been given to the Kenya Industry and Entrepreneurship Project.

Mombasa Special economic zone will receive Sh90 million.

[Graham Kajilwa]