A Delve into the Covid Millions (Part 1)
From the aid received from World Bank, the state has spent a total of 1.3 billion. This is according to a document by Mutahi Kagwe to the National Assembly Health committee.
However, in the breakdown of the 1.3 billion, here are the expenditures you cannot fail to notice. Tea and snacks sh4m, housing health workers sh12m. Others include, sh70m for communication and sh278m on Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs)
Although the initial approved budget was sh976.8 million, the Ministry has spent 1.3 billion, since the outbreak hit the country in mid- March. As per the document, ” The excess expenditure will be drawn from additional funds from the World Bank.”
Currently, the ministry is expecting an additional of sh2.3 billion from World Bank to help in the Covid response for the remainder of this financial year.
Expenditure
The Ministry of Health has spent sh42m to rent 15 ambulances, bringing each to be leased at sh2.8m. Sh10.1m is aside for tea and snacks of the various personnel involved in the the fight against the pandemic. Of this amount, sh4m has been used.
sh9 million has been spent by the state to print travelers’ quarantine and discharge papers, against the sh900,000 initial budget.
For fueling and maintenance of vehicles, sh14.4 has been used while sh40,000 per week was spent on running the 30 vehicles.
Meanwhile, 500 essential workers have been provided with an estimate of sh4000 each per month for airtime by the state. This will go on for three months.
The document also shows that the ministry has spent sh70m in communication. The state has approved a total of sh2.5m for printing of papers but has used sh6.5m since the outbreak.
It is said that centers for call grievances and complaints was a necessary safeguard requirement by the World Bank. To procure and install these, the state further spent sh11.8m.
From the same document, Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), which is under the ministry has spent sh277.9m in the procurement of PPEs.
The World Bank donated 1 billion for the emergency response of Covid- 19.
