The Hustler Fund has received a Sh12 billion injection as the National Treasury has tabled the first supplementary budget that has realigned allocations to several departments in order to cater for emerging needs like the drought.
Some of the big winners in the budget include the State Department of Cooperatives whose allocation has been increased from Sh 2.3 billion to Sh22 billion with Ksh.12 billion set aside for President William Ruto’s election pledge project the Hustler Fund.
The State Department for Arid and Semi-arid Lands has received an additional Sh 6.3 billion from Sh10.4 billion to Sh 16.7 billion in order to cater for the drought.
Some ministries on the losing side include the State Department for Interior and Citizen Services whose allocation has been reduced from Sh143.5 billion to Sh112.1 billion, a Sh31 billion reduction. Also on the chopping board is the Ministry of Water and Sanitation whose allocation has been slashed from Sh83.9 billion to Sh59.7 billion.
Even with the budget cuts, the National Treasury has allocated State House Ksh.200 million in the supplementary budget for operations and maintenance while the office of the deputy president has been given Ksh.45 million for the implementation of planned activities.
Treasury has explained that the rationale behind the supplementary budget is to give additional funding for emerging priorities and emergencies, fund previously approved reallocations and rationalisation of the budget to align the revised reorganisation of government under executive order No 1 of 2023.
