The National Treasury released a total of Sh726.9 billion for recurrent expenditure to the different ministries and state agencies between July 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023.
Some part of this money was used during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure, since the former Head of State vacated office on September 13, 2022.
Most of the recurrent expenditure funds went into paying wages and salaries of State officers during that period.
These revelations were made by Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u in a Gazette Notice dated Friday, March 17, 2023.
The Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) gobbled up the largest share of the recurrent expenditure funds at Sh184 billion.
The State Department for Interior and Citizen Services has received Sh84 billion so far, followed by Defence ministry (Sh78.8 billion), State Department for Basic Education (Sh67.2 billion), State Department for University Education (Sh39.4 billion), Health ministry (Sh27.3 billion), Petroleum and Mining ministry (Sh25.9 billion), Treasury ministry (Sh22.9 billion) and the National Intelligence Service (Sh22.3 billion).
The State Department for Correctional Services has so far received Sh17.4 billion. Others are the National Assembly (Sh14.7 billion), IEBC (Sh13 billion), State Department for Social Protection (Sh10.9 billion), State Department for Public Service (Sh10.3 billion), Judiciary Fund (Sh9.7 billion) and Foreign Affairs ministry (Sh9.1 billion)
President William Ruto’s office has thus far received a total of Sh9.5 billion.
Budgets of the offices of the Deputy President and the Prime Cabinet Secretary were incorporated in Ruto’s budget under the Executive Office of the President.
However, Parliament has proposed that some Sh849.2 million be wired directly to the Office of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and some Sh771.9 million be channelled directly to the Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
The two offices are, however, yet to receive those funds.
It’s important to note that the original budget estimates had allocated the Executive Office of the President Sh8 billion, but this figure was revised by MPs to Sh15.3 billion in January 2023.
During that period (July 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023), the government collected revenue totalling Sh1.83 trillion.
In the 2022-2023 Financial Year, the government had projected to collect a total of Sh3 trillion in taxes to finance its Sh3.6 trillion yearly budget.
Prof. Ndung’u said in the Gazette Notice that there is a Sh1.4 trillion budget deficit, which will be bridged through domestic and foreign loans.
The government has, between July 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023, offset public loans totaling Sh694 billion.
During that period, in which the Treasury had disbursed Sh726.9 billion for recurrent expenditure, it had budgeted for Sh1.27 trillion for the expenses.
At the same time, the State was hoping it would pay back loans totaling Sh1.4 trillion, but only managed to offset Sh694 billion in loans.
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