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Tag: Budget 2025/26

  • Construction of stalled roads to resume, says Wetang’ula

    Construction of stalled roads to resume, says Wetang’ula

    National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has said the construction of key roads in the western region that are stalled is set to resume the new Financial Year, 2025/26.

    This after Ksh.8.5 billion was allocated in the Budget.

    Wetang’ula noted that National Treasury had put Kshs.7 million more in the 2025/26 budget than last financial year’s allocation.

    “In the last financial year the Treasury put Kshs. 1.3 billion in the budget for the road but the current one has Kshs. 8.5 billion,” he explained.

    The Speaker was addressing mourners during the burial service of Catherine Kigasia Kivai, wife to Vihiga MP Hon. Ernest Kivai at Kigadahi primary school in Vihiga County.

    He pointed out that the funds will be used to settle pending bills of contractors who were constructing the roads in the region but stopped due to non payment of their dues.

    “I want to assure contractors who are owed by the government that their dues will be paid before resuming work on the roads,” said Wetang’ula.

    He was responding to the claims by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, who was present, that the government had ignored the region.

    Osotsi claimed that budget tabled by in the House last Thursday by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi did not address region’s needs.

    But the Speaker said those allegations were not factual as he asked the Senator to keenly read the budget to avoid misleading wananchi.

    He noted that this year’s national examination candidates will not have to pay any money to sit the tests as the government had allocated money in the budget for the same.

    “There has been fear that parents would have to pay examination fee for their children sitting the national examination. I want to assure them that the issue has been addressed in the budget,” said Wetang’ula.

    The Speaker revisited his call for the Luhyia unity noting that their division would deny them presidency.

    Vihiga Governor Hon Wilbur Ottichilo, Senator Edwin Sifuna, MPs MCAs were among leaders present.

  • Treasury allocates Ksh 47.6 B to drive agricultural transformation, food security

    Treasury allocates Ksh 47.6 B to drive agricultural transformation, food security

    Government has allocated Ksh. 47.6 Billion in the 2025/26 financial year budget to enhance food security and boost agricultural productivity in key value chain such as fisheries and aquaculture, horticulture, food crops, livestock and rangeland development. 

    Speaking when delivering the budget before parliament, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi highlighted agriculture as key to the government’s strategy for reducing the country’s food deficit, cutting reliance on imports, and revitalizing export-oriented crops.

    “The Government will scale up support to farmers through input financing, subsidies and extension services. This will move the country from food deficit to food surplus, reduce reliance on food imports and revamp export crops.” CS Mbadi said.

    Of the Ksh 47.6B, Ksh 8 billion is meant for the Fertilizer Subsidy Programme, Ksh 10.2 billion for the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project, Ksh 800 million for Small Scale Irrigation and Value Addition Project, Ksh 1.2 billion for Food Security and Crop Diversification Project and Ksh 5.8 billion for the Food Systems Resilience Project.

    The CS said that since February 2024, 6.5 million registered farmers have benefited from the fertilizer subsidy program, as a result the cost of fertilizer has reduced by 67%, while maize production has increased by 38.9%.

    To promote livestock production, the CS proposed Ksh 2.3 billion for De-Risking, Inclusion and Value Enhancement of Pastoral Economies Programme, Ksh 1.6 billion for Kenya Livestock Commercialization Programme (KeLCoP) and Ksh. 280 million for the Livestock Value Chain Support Project.

    Similarly, treasury proposed Ksh 340 million for the Development Leather Industrial Park at Kenanie.

    Blue Economy and Fisheries

    The Blue Economy and Fisheries sub-sector has been allocated a total of Ksh 8.2 billion which includes: Ksh 2.3 billion for Aquaculture Business Development Project, Ksh 2.4 billion to the Kenya Marine Fisheries & Socio-Economic Development Project and Ksh 500 million for Kabonyo Fisheries & Aquaculture Training Center.

    To mitigate climate change effects, the government will invest Ksh 1.3 billion in the Resilience for Food & Nutrition Security Program in the Horn of Africa and Ksh 318 million for the towards Ending Drought Emergencies project.

    “Mr. Speaker, to raise agricultural productivity and enhance resilience to climate change risks in targeted smallholder farming and pastoral communities, I have proposed an allocation of Ksh 318 million for Towards Ending Drought Emergencies project and Ksh 1.3 billion to Resilience for Food & Nutrition Security Program in Horn of Africa project.” Stated Treasury CS.

    Meanwhile, the CS said that the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) is rolling out specialized training on livestock and crop insurance for farmers and pastoralist communities to increase uptake of agricultural insurance as a climate risk buffer.

    Government has projected total revenue collection for the 2025/2026 fiscal year at Ksh 3.32 trillion, with ordinary revenue expected to contribute Ksh 2.75 trillion.

    Appropriations-in-aid are projected at Ksh 567 billion while total government expenditure is forecast at Ksh 4.29 trillion, highlighting a significant commitment to development despite tight fiscal space.