Ruto Signs into Law Supplementary Appropriation, Division Of Revenue Bills

President William Ruto has signed the Supplementary Appropriation Bill into law, releasing funds for government expenditure for the financial year ending June 30.

This law directs the National Treasury to authorize the issuance of Sh102,305,909,030 from the Consolidated Fund to be allocated across various government departments.

The purpose of the Bill is to regularize expenditures totaling Sh23.67 billion under Article 223 of the Constitution, which includes funds allocated for emergency interventions.

The overall budget has been decreased by 3.3 percent (Sh132.46 billion), from the initially approved Sh3,981.53 billion in the supplementary estimates of the 2023/24 FY to Sh3,848.07 billion.

There has been an increase in recurrent expenditure by Sh51.12 billion, counteracting efforts by President Ruto’s administration to reduce the substantial wage bill.

Development spending has been redirected to priority areas and reduced by Sh75.29 billion, mainly due to the rationalization of donor-funded programs.

As a result, the Bill has reduced the allocation by Sh32,596,382,875 across various votes.

“The proposed reduction in overall expenditures encompasses both a reduction in ministerial national government expenditures and Consolidated Fund Services (CFS) expenditures.“

The Supplementary Budget II 2023/24 reflects a significant emphasis on addressing the impact of the intense El Nino rains witnessed over the past three months.

The State Department for Arid and Semi-Arid Areas and Regional Development will receive Sh4.3 billion to provide humanitarian support to those affected by floods.

The Department of Internal Security has been allocated Sh3 billion for managing the El Nino disaster.

The Ministry of Roads and Transport will receive Sh1 billion to urgently rehabilitate roads damaged by the floods.

Additionally, Sh5.3 billion has been approved for emergency relief assistance to address El Niño flood responses.

In the Ministry of Education, University Education is allocated Sh4.4 billion, while Secondary Education receives Sh1.1 billion.

The Ministry of Agriculture will receive Sh3 billion for the fertilizer subsidy program and Sh1.1 billion to address excess milk through the New KCC.

To bolster revenue collection efforts, the Kenya Revenue Authority will receive Sh4.0 billion, and Sh7.4 billion is allocated for settling pending bills.