Teachers, police job seekers hit as MPs okay budget cuts

Youths who were eyeing police jobs this year may have to wait longer after MPs approved, among others, budget reductions affecting their recruitment.

The 46,000 intern teachers, who were also angling to join the government payroll, have also been affected by the budget trims.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee, in changes approved by all MPs in plenary on Wednesday, has agreed with most of National Treasury’s requests.

“The cuts have been done in all levels of government. The cuts have been spread across the two levels of government. It is out of the realities that we face at the moment,” Budget committee chairman Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu MP) said.

In what would deal a blow and dash the hopes of the youth, MPs okayed cuts of Sh3.2 billion, which the National Police Service was to use to list 2,862 new officers.

Teachers, through their respective unions, have also been left empty-handed after MPs approved a Sh10 billion cut on the Teachers Service Commission budget.

The teachers’ employer said it intended to spend the money to implement a collective bargaining agreement it entered into with teachers.

TSC and the unions in their deal provided that the second phase of 2021-25 amended CBA was to be implemented by the end of July this year.

TSC chief executive officer Nancy Macharia recently told MPs the agency wouldn’t be able to implement pay hikes as planned.

She also told the Education Committee of the National Assembly that teachers will also be operating without medical cover from December.

Farmers have also suffered a budget reduction of Sh2.5 billion affecting the fertiliser subsidy programme.

Coffee farmers will also make do without Sh1 billion from the coffee cherry revolving fund in the face of the cuts.

It is not all gloom though as MPs rejected proposed cuts affecting a number of ministries, state departments and agencies.

Principal secretaries and accounting officers asked the National Assembly committees to reinstate the budgets.

Among the winners are members of the IEBC selection panel, the one which was stopped by Nadco, with an approval of Sh33 million to cater to their arrears.

MPs have also allocated Sh152 million to fund the new selection panel to appoint new IEBC commissioners.

President William Ruto is next week expected to relay the details of the nominees to the hiring panel to Parliament.

Office of the Auditor General's development and recurrent budgets were also reinstated.

But MDAs are set to suffer more reductions after MPs increased the cuts by Sh4 billion from the Treasury’s proposed Sh34 billion.

On development budgets, MPs have rejected cuts to the tune of Sh10 billion, leaving the new vote at Sh112 billion from the initial Sh107 billion.

Among the affected projects is the leasing of police vehicles, which has suffered a reduction of Sh1.3 billion.

MPs also approved cutting the Kenya Revenue Authority's recurrent budget by Sh852 million.

Judiciary also lost Sh1 billion in the rationalisation plan, leaving it with Sh22.5 billion as the budget for the current fiscal year.

MPs have also struck the heart of the hustlers, with cuts of Sh1 billion from the Financial Inclusion Fund – best known as Hustler Fund.

Several road projects, more so feeder roads would be delayed following cuts affecting ongoing construction and maintenance works.

County governments, albeit under the proposed changes to the Division of Revenue Act, 2023 are also tipped to lose Sh20 billion of this year’s provisions.

Many health projects were also affected, including the procurement of equipment at the National Blood Transfusion Services, which had been allocated Sh200 million.

MPs also cut Sh100 million, which was for the expansion of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre at Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital.

KNH's bid to refurbish and renovate obsolete equipment also hit a snag in the face of the Sh500 budget cuts.

The committee and plenary also approved a reduction of Sh500 million from the Managed Equipment Service. The money was to be used to lease medical equipment for 98 hospitals.

School children from the nomadic and Asal areas are set for a boost, with Sh3 billion allocated to school feeding programmes.

MPs have moved the budget from the drought management authority to the education ministry.

But in further cuts, MPs reduced state law office operating expenses budget for civil litigation by Sh766 million.

IEBC, which decried pending bills, has been allocated Sh100 million to pay Posta Kenya. It, however, owes the corporation Sh400 million.

The commission has also been provided Sh50 million to enable it pay contractors for maintenance of KIEMS Kits and renewal of ICT licences.

Sugar farmers are also set to benefit from a Sh700 million vote to implement cane testing units at Agriculture and Food Authority.

MPs also approved Sh70 million for upgrading and equipping of maternal and newborn ward at Endebess hospital.

At least Sh550 million has also been provided for various electricity connectivity projects across the country.

Ruto ordered budget cuts after failing to raise Sh260 billion in new taxes through the Finance Bill, 2024.

The tax law, which was dropped after massive countrywide protests, originally targeted Sh344 billion.