In the wake of the mass destruction of lives and property by floods in different parts of the country, the National Assembly Committee on Budget now wants the National Treasury to use some of the money not approved in the budget to cushion the affected Kenyans.
Speaking during the commissioning of new classrooms at Ribe Primary and Junior Secondary School in Kilifi on Friday the committee chairperson Ndindi Nyoro revealed that in the case where there is a scarcity of resources in the budget to cater to such emergencies, the law allows the Treasury to go outside the stipulated budget to help Kenyans affected by natural crisis.
“In the case of emergencies, article 223 allows National Treasury to utilize funds which have not been approved by Parliament to help Kenyans as long as the funds do not exceed 10% of the budget,” Nyoro said.
He assured Kenyans that there was already money set aside in the budget to be used in emergencies such as the one currently being experienced in various parts of the country and that the Treasury would only need to go off budget if the funds proved to be inadequate.
The Kiharu MP who was accompanied by Rabai MP Anthony Kenga added that the government was already in the process of offering relief services to flood affected Kenyans using the National Youth Service (NYS).
“I want to assure the people of Kenya that as government we are doing everything possible to help all the affected people. As government we have directed the National Youth Service to offer relief services in different parts of the country,” Nyoro noted.
He further assured flood-affected Kenyans of the government’s continued support throughout these heavy rains season.
By Cynthia Maseno
