Budget Day: What Kenyans should expect

National Treasury and Planning CS Ukur Yattani at Treasury building. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

All eyes are on Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani today as he delivers what many refer to as a legacy budget, the last one under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.

The Sh3.3 trillion 2022/23 budget will be read from the National Assembly at 3 pm. Kenyans who are grappling with a myriad of issues await with bated breath. 

Many Kenyans have raised concern over the skyrocketing food prices, especially in the last two years, coupled with the recent acute fuel shortage that has hit transport and business operations across the country.

Food Prices

A spot-check by The Standard across various counties has painted a grim picture of the current situation with Kenyans expressing their disappointment with the current regime.

“We are on our own, the present government has failed us, especially we from the so-called breadbasket region. We have tilled our land yet we cannot afford fertiliser even after we were promised subsidized fertiliser” Richard Kibet, a farmer told KTN News.

Many farmers cried foul of the empty promises issued by the state including the subsidised fertiliser and what awaits them when they sell their harvest to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).

Consumers have also raised concern over the increase in food prices and basic commodities.

“Even the price of salt has gone up. Everything has doubled but our salaries remain the same. Let’s hope the CS will remember us in his speech,” Nairobi resident Stephen Wambua said.

Business operations

Business owners are also expecting to be factored in today’s budget with most still in limping mode from heavy tax burdens and harsh economic times.

Small-scale traders are also awaiting their turn. “Just look at how much we are charged per unit by Kenya Power. I run a butchery in Nairobi. I have to pay my workers on time, my meat suppliers have increased the cost of transportation due to the fuel debacle,” said businessman Ali Noor.

Christopher Anyembe, a contractor in Butere Constituency explained how he lost a lucrative tender after the cost of building materials shot drastically.

“In December and early January 2022, I was buying a bag of cement at Sh630. Right now they are selling the same bag of cement at Sh840. This is madness. I can no longer sustain the tender,” he said.

August polls

With 123 days to the general elections, Wanjiku is upbeat about how the August polls will be handled by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) which greatly depends on Treasury for funding.

As of January 2022, IEBC had been allocated an additional Sh8.81 trillion to meet the shortfall needed to conduct the General Election. This was after its Chair Wafula Chebukati said the commission requires at least Sh40.9billion to deliver a credible election compared to the Sh33 billion allocated earlier.

Mathius Thuku, a businessman in Thika town expressed his hopes that the cash demanded by the commission will be accounted for and be able to help deliver a credible election.

“I watched on TV when the CEO Hussein Murjan told parliament that they had requested Sh40b but they were only allocated Sh33billion. Let us hope the balance will be fulfilled and we can resume normalcy after the elections,” he said.