The Ministry of Labour has offered hope for Kenyans who were rendered jobless as a result of the government's directive to lock down 5 counties as disease-infected areas (Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kajiado and Machakos).
Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelgui has told the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Labour that he was eyeing part of the Ksh 255 billion IMF loan to provide a monthly stipend for the affected Kenyans.
“This money is coming to the national basket treasury, we are making a case for our ministry to be considered in terms of funding.
“I may not be able to state how much because our team is still working on the numbers but we will be able to make our case on exactly how much we will need to cushion the people affected in the five lockdown counties and by extension, those other counties that are connected to the five counties,” CS Chelgui said.
He emphasised the importance of offering direct assistance to the affected Kenyans before considering other long-term measures to improve the economy.
Labour PS Peter Tum added that the ministry was compiling data on those who were rendered jobless to determine the budget needed.
“The ministry is on top of things in the sense that as we get information on those that have lost employment, we are putting together those numbers and giving the same information to Treasury and the funding will come to us,” he expressed optimism.
President Kenyatta had said that relief measures would only be considered on a case by case basis, arguing that economic activity was still ongoing in many areas.
“We have a problem in the hospitality sector, we are also likely to have a problem in the entertainment sector and we will look to see how we can work together to support some of these sectors.
“But that has to be on an issue by issue basis because when you talk about tax, you talk about the whole country, we will have to look at wherever measures that can specifically apply to within particular counties,” Kenyatta said on March 31.
On his part, Central Bank of Kenya Governor Patrick Njoroge explained that it would be monitoring the situation and provide appropriate measures.
“If things turn out that additional measures are needed because the situation has worsened, then the Monetary Policy Committee and other authorities and policymakers stand ready to deal with that,” he said.
