The government has been disbursing Ksh250 million weekly to help vulnerable households across the country affected by floods and the novel coronavirus according to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The funding is from the president’s Ksh53.7 billion 8-point economic stimulus programme geared towards cushioning the country from the shock of coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking at State House on Saturday, he said many people have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic and thrown into financial ruin.
“The pandemic has had a negative impact on Kenya’s economy with many people stripped of their dignity and thrown into financial ruin, unable to feed their families or afford rent,” he stated.
He explained that the government has steered clear of brokers and other personnel who, ideally, would be involved in the disbursement of these funds.
He said this mechanism was mooted to avoid loss of funds through brokers.
“Through this process, we have managed to bypass brokers and cartels that used to dominate the sector,” said President Uhuru.
“Money in the hands of a family restores dignity for it give people power to make economic choices in their local spaces and not depend on lining up, waiting for food relief – This helps us build the economy from the bottom up,” he added.
Under the 8-point economic stimulus programme, he said that Ksh10 billion has been set for national hygiene programme.
The programme so far has enlisted 26,000 youth but the State will upscale to 200, 000 to caution the unemployed under Kazi Mtaani Initiative.
“So far, 26,000 young people have been involved in the programme. Following approval of the budget, that number is expected to rise to 200,000,” he said.
