Kenya Budget: Health sector gets Sh111.7 billion

Treasury CS Ukur Yatani during the Budget reading on June 11, 2020. 

NAIROBI, Kenya

The government of Kenya has allocated some Sh111.7 billion to the health sector for the 2020-21  financial year.

During presentation of the Bugdet in Parliament on Thursday, Treasury CS Ukur Yatani said out of the amount, some Sh50.3 billion will caters for the enablers and drivers of the Universal Health Care.

In his Sh2.79 trillion budget, Yatani said some Sh98.2 billion will cater for the lowering of HIV/Aids transmission, malaria and TB treatment.

"Mr Speaker we have set aside Sh5.3 billion which will cater for the transformation of our health care systems and Sh4.1 billion for the Free Maternity Care programme," he said.

According to Yatani, Some Sh6.2 billion will cater for service delivery in the sector, while Sh1.8 billion to cater for medical cover for the elderly and persons living with disabilities.

He said Sh15 billion will be channeled to Kenyatta National Hospital, Sh10 billion to MTRC, Sh7.2 billion to KMTC, Sh2.5 billion to Kemri and Sh2.1 billion to Mathari hospital.

Yatani said cumulatively the government has set aside Sh128.3 billion which will cater for the drivers and enablers of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big Four agenda.

"Mr Speaker, the current COVID-19 is a reality and we have allocated an extra Sh1.2 billion which will be used to recruit an additional 5,000 health workers for a year," he said.

Yatani said this will go a long way in complementing the government's efforts in containing the pandemic in terms of response mechanisms.

Yatani said some Sh25 million will cater for the installation of walk-through sanitisers especially at the entry points.