It has been predicted that President William Ruto’s ambitious legacy projects have been thrown into disarray following the rejection of the Finance Bill 2024.
The decision, catalyzed by a week-long series of street protests led by Generation Z, has left the administration scrambling to adjust its budgetary plans and legacy aspirations.
Finance Bill 2024 was set to be the largest budget since Kenya's independence with an allocation of Sh4 trillion, was designed to fund a suite of projects critical to President Ruto's legacy and his 2027 re-election campaign.
However, the bill's rejection means a significant reduction in government expenditure, with Sh346 billion set to be slashed, directly impacting Ruto's key initiatives.
Among the casualties are several of Ruto's flagship projects:
Coffee Debt Waiver: Sh6.8 billion aimed at relieving coffee farmers of debt will no longer be available.
Fertilizer Subsidy Program: This Sh5 billion initiative to boost agriculture and food security is severely impacted.
Junior Secondary Schools (JSS): Sh18.9 billion intended for hiring 46,000 teachers is now cut.
Social Security Projects: Cash transfers to the elderly, slated for Sh5.5 billion, will also suffer.
Additionally, the rejection has led to a dramatic reduction in funding for the Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), impacting projects across 290 constituencies and losing a cumulative Sh15 billion.
President Ruto has directed the National Treasury to amend the Division of Revenue Act 2024 to reflect the decreased revenues.
Finance Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u warned that ongoing road projects will face a Sh15.1 billion reduction, and technical training institutions will lose Sh800 million.
Opposition leaders and political analysts have been vocal in their criticism. Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua accused the government of mismanaging resources and appointing unqualified individuals, while Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni attributed the crisis to corruption and excessive spending within the administration.