A showdown looms between allies of President Uhuru Kenyatta and those of his deputy Willam Ruto looms in Parliament following proposed budget amendments by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa.
Ichung'wa wants the budget allocated to the Office of the President, Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defence cut by Ksh50 billion.
"Ksh50 billion be provided under the Ministry of Trade and Industrialisation to support credit finance for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) adversely affected by the pandemic,"
“This will be financed by reallocations from the recurrent expenditures of the Office of the President, Ministry of Defence, and The Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government," Ichung'wa proposed.
The latest move by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) allied MPs is seen as an attempt to implement elements of the bottom-up economic model before the next government is elected.
Ruto allies want the money dubbed Hustler Fund to boost the DP's aspirations in case he succeeds President Uhuru Kenyatta in the August 9 polls.
Additionally, Ichungwa proposed the addition of over Ksh300 billion to the State Department of the Youth under the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology to boost the Youth Entrepreneurship Fund.
While at a rally in Kiambu County on Friday, February 18, Ruto defended the move by his allies stating that the majority of the budget expected to be tabled before Parliament in June 2022 will fund the next administration.
He also hit out at Uhuru's government for tabling a huge budget that will force Kenya to borrow from other countries and financial institutions. The 2022/2023 budget is estimated to cost over Ksh3 trillion.
“I want to ask you, isn't this budget being made for the next government? We have already started making plans for the budget that will help us in the coming government,"
"The National Treasury should not borrow more money. The country has enough debts already," he cautioned.
However, the amendments tabled by Ichung'wa were termed as a campaign strategy for UDA. Kieni MP, Kanini Kega, an ally of Uhuru, argued that Ruto and his allies harbour ulterior motives as some of their proposed changes could have been implemented during the first term of the Jubilee administration.
“Ichungwa is the former chairman of the National Assembly's Budget Committee and he is trying to insinuate that they can make a budget they think will help them in 2022. You were there, why didn't you do it then?
"BBI proposed additional funds to the counties and you rejected it. This is just mischievous and we know it," he," he stated.
