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The National Treasury has slightly increased the allocation of the Ministry of Health under the 2021/2022 budget from Ksh.112Billion to Ksh. 121Billion.
Of the Ksh.121.1 Billion, Ksh 56Billion is for the development of the health sector while Ksh.65 Billion will be spent on the recurrent expenditure.
The Pandemic has been allocated Ksh. 15.4 Billion where Ksh. 3.9Billion of this will be used to procure vaccines while the rest will be used for engaging specialists, carrying tests and supplying of equipment to the hospitals.
The Parliamentary Budget Office has criticized the allocation of the Covid-19 pandemic saying it won’t be able to cater effectively and there will be over dependence on Donors. They have also said that Ksh. 200.M to Mathari Mental Teaching Referral Hospital is an underfunding.
However, there is a relief after the Value Added Tax has been removed on Medical equipment, medical and supplements which attracted 16%VAT including the Malaria testing kits, orthopedic or fracture appliances, etc.
The national referral and specialized services has also been funded Ksh. 47.8 Billion which is an increase from 47.8Billion of the last financial year. A further breakdown shows the ministry of health has been allocated Sh22.5 Billion for development projects for preventive, promoted and reproductive health.
Other development spending includes, National Referral facilities have been allocated Sh11.7 billion, while Sh20 billion will be for health policy, standard regulation and Sh587 million for health research and development.
The much famed Universal Health Coverage under Big Four has Sh45.6 billion to fund a countrywide rollout in all 47 counties after a 12-month pilot program in Nyeri, Isiolo, Kisumu and Machakos.
Maternal and infant mortality was allocated Sh1.6 billion, an increase from Sh422 million with Managed Equipment Service (MES for 119 Hospitals) receiving Sh7.2 billion, an increase from Sh6.2 billion.
At least Sh600 million is equipment at the National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS) on the face of the country’s blood crisis. The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret will get Sh120 million for construction and equipment of a children’s hospital with Sh15.6 million going to equipping its Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Interventions for malaria, TB and HIV which “are all largely dependent on donor funding and there have been challenges such as the recent shortage of ARVs due to a dispute between the US aid agency and the Kenyan government,” added the PBO report noting that under the budget allocated Sh17.31 billion from Global Fund.