The chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, Ndindi Nyoro, has reassured Kenyans that essential expenditure like employment of Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers and subsidized fertilizer that were budgeted for will not be affected by budget cuts.
Speaking while issuing bursaries for students in boarding secondary schools and tertiary institutions at Kiharu Technical and Vocational College, the Kiharu Member of Parliament said that although the finance bill was not assented into law, the budget has to be adjusted so that the expenditure that is important to Kenyans will still be included in the new budget.
Nyoro stated that the 46000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers who were on internship will be employed on permanent and pensionable terms so that they can be compensated fairly for their work.
“I want to assure the JSS teachers that they will be employed on permanent and pensionable terms so that they can continue serving Kenyans,” he stated.
He underscored the important role of agriculture noting that the subsidized fertilizer will continue to be available for farmers growing both foodstuff and cash crops so as to support farmers across the country.
“I also want to assure all Kenyan farmers that we will include Sh10 billion for subsidized fertilizer as the budget committee adjusts the budget next week,” he said.
Nyoro noted that the money allocated for continued stabilizing of milk prices to ensure the prices aren’t affected by surplus production will also not be affected.
“We had budgeted for Sh2.25 billion to cushion dairy farmers from low milk prices during the rainy season through New KCC and that amount will not be affected,” he said.
“The money is to safeguard milk prices and ensure the farmers earn not less than Sh50 per liter of milk,” he added.
The MP noted that an additional two billion shillings will be allocated for the coffee cherry fund bringing the total amount allocated for the fund to Sh6.8 billion.
He also stated that some money will be allocated for offsetting part of the debts owed by coffee cooperatives.
“Another challenge in the coffee industry is the debts owed by cooperatives estimated to amount to about eight billion shillings and the budget will include two billion shillings to start offsetting those debts.” he said.
He noted that Kenyan leaders have listened to the public outcry and will therefore work with the money available by reviewing the budget they had proposed and reducing it by about 177 billion shillings.
By Purity Mugo
