Each Member of Parliament will now receive an additional Ksh.30 million following a last-minute adjustment to the proposed 2024-2025 budget. This increment comes amidst public outcry over the Finance Bill 2024, which proposes further taxation burdens on citizens.
The National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee, led by Ndindi Nyoro, has defended the increased allocation, stating that the additional funds will help address the recent destruction of schools caused by heavy rains. The committee highlighted that the overall budget expenditure, initially set at Ksh.3.9 trillion, is likely to rise to cover these and other essential needs.
“NG-CDF, as you know, is a share of the revenue that we collect as a country and consequently increases every year. Now, every constituency would be receiving an average of Ksh.180 million to Ksh.220 million annually,” said Nyoro. The NG-CDF will see an increase of Ksh.5 billion in its current budget.
This proposed increment coincides with another adjustment to the equitable share of revenue for counties, raising it from the proposed Ksh.391 billion by the National Assembly to Ksh.400 billion, as agreed by a mediation team. The Senate had initially proposed Ksh.415 billion for counties in the 2024-2025 financial year.
The additional funding for MPs has sparked criticism, especially at a time when Kenyans are protesting the Finance Bill 2024-2025, which aims to raise revenue to finance the Ksh.3.9 trillion budget amidst a shortfall in revenue collection.
“We are likely to increase our expenditure from the current Ksh.3.914 trillion because some needs can’t wait; junior secondary schools can’t wait, the school feeding programme can’t wait. Even if we try to reallocate funds, reallocation alone will not be sufficient to cover the shortfalls,” added Nyoro.
Funds will be redirected from various public institutions, including the State House, Office of the President, Office of the Deputy President, and the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, to finance essential programmes such as the Ksh.10 billion tree planting initiative and to address shortfalls in education and security sectors.
For flood mitigation, the committee has reinstated funds previously cut from the Department of Irrigation to support water harvesting efforts. However, there was division among committee members regarding the allocation of political parties’ funds.
The committee has urged the National Treasury to ensure timely disbursement of resources in the next financial year to facilitate effective implementation of national and county government programmes.
