As the number of Coronavirus infections increase in the county, the government has rolled out an 8-point Economic Stimulus Programme to support Kenyans and keep the economy running.
Addressing the nation from State House, President Kenyatta said the Ksh 53.7billion programme is intended to enhance growth and cushion companies and families as the country navigates through the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first element in the programme will focus on infrastructure where KSH 5billion will be used to hire local labor to rehabilitate access roads, footbridges, and other public infrastructure. This comes as heavy rains continue to destroy and damage roads across the country.
Education is the second point in the stimulus programme, and the government has allocated Ksh 6.5billion to the Ministry of Education to hire 10,000 teachers and 1,000 ICT interns to support digital learning in a time where the Coronavirus pandemic has greatly affected learning in Kenya.
The third element in the programme is about small and medium enterprises to help them get through the economic effects of the pandemic. In the fourth point, the government directs its focus on the health sector where 5,000 health workers with diploma and certificate qualifications will be hired for a period of one year to help fight the deadly virus and to foster the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage programme. However, Ksh 1.7billion will be directed towards the expansion of bed capacity in public hospitals.
The other aspects included in the 8-point economic stimulus are agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and mitigating the effects of deforestation and climate change.
The President explained that the government has been dispatching Ksh 250million every week to vulnerable families, explaining that needy Kenyans receive money direct form the government to ensure they get the help they need unlike before when funds and relief were lost through brokers, cartels, and logistics. He added that doing so prevents the vulnerable from lining up to get food donations.
To harness the energy of the young people in the country, Kenyatta said the government is engaging them in the National Hygiene Programme-Kazi Mtaani Initiative, where Ksh 10billion will be spent to restore public hygiene standards, urban civil works, and other public undertakings. So far, 26,000 youths are involved in the initiative and the authorities intend to increase the number to 200,000 young people across the country.
