Restore health plan’s budget

About four million poor Kenyans will not be able to access medical care as the Ministry of Health has slashed its budget by Sh6 billion. The money had been allocated for a special health fund in the 2024/2025 financial year.

Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai has conceded that this is, indeed, a contradiction of the government’s own agenda of making quality healthcare accessible to all Kenyans.

Dr Kimtai’s appeal to the National Assembly Health Committee for the reinstatement of the Sh6 billion allocation for this critical national project makes plenty of sense. The project is targeted at one million households.

These happen to be the “hustlers”, whose lives the Kenya Kwanza government pledged in its election campaign manifesto of nearly two years ago to uplift

The budget cuts are a consequence of the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, 2024, which had been expected to raise Sh344 billion. The Bill was soundly rejected by Kenyans for containing “punitive and oppressive” tax proposals.

Wastage of public funds

As the “hustlers” suffer due to lack of funds for their medical care, as the budget has been reduced to zero, there are some non-essential areas that will still be catered for.

The Health ministry has budgeted Sh20 billion to be spent on luxury and hospitality. Some of that money will be disbursed as travel allowances for some top officials. More money has also been forked out for ghost workers.

Domestic and foreign travels that hardly add any value to the government are part of the wanton wastage of public funds at a time when key health services cannot be paid for.

The Health ministry has also been fingered by auditors for failing to account for billions of shillings and yet it is now unable to provide the health cover for the millions of poor Kenyans.

The Sh6 billion allocation should be restored and cuts effected in the non-essential areas.