President Uhuru Kenyatta has unveiled Ksh. 53.7 billion stimulus package to Salvage the economy amidst Coronavirus Pandemic. This money will stimulate growth and cushion families and companies that are struggling financially in this season.
Through this package, the government will employ local men and women to rehabilitate dilapidated access roads and footbridges. Ksh. 5 billion has already been set aside for this exercise.
“Following the ongoing rains, road infrastructure has been adversely affected across the entire country. To address this challenge in the short term, as a Government, we intend to rehabilitate access roads, footbridges and other public infrastructure,” Said President Uhuru.
“We are convinced, with the use of local labour and local construction materials, in line with our ‘Buy Kenya Build Kenya’ Policy, we will stimulate and support micro and small business enterprises,” he added.
On the education sector, the government has set aside Ksh. 6.5 billion shillings even as schools remain closed for unknown period. President Uhuru said the government will give its plans on school reopening. Students have been depending on e-learning though a bigger percentage of students and pupils have no access to internet or TV.
The monies allocated to the Ministry of Education will also see more teachers employed by the government, to ease teacher shortage in schools across the country.
“The purpose of this is to hire 10,000 teachers and 1,000 ICT interns to support digital learning. The programme will also support the improvement of school infrastructure, including acquisition of 250,000 locally fabricated desks. The aim is to get thousands of our graduates off the bench and into action while we support local artisans and builders businesses,” Said Uhuru.
In the Stimulus package, the government will hire additional 5,000 healthcare workers with diploma or certificate level qualification for a period of one year. The government has also given Ksh. 1.7 billion for the expansion o bed capacity in public hospitals.