MPs condemn Kenyans to more misery as they slash budget to key ministries to add to a ballooning wage bill

Members of parliament have slashed budgets of key ministries in order to meet some of the demands of the ongoing labour strikes rocking the country.

Doctors, lecturers and even dock workers have all down their tools demanding salary increases among implementation of their various Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) they entered with the government.

Mutava Musyimi, chairman of the National Assembly Budget and Appropriation committee, told the media the government is unable to end the crises due to lack of contingency funds.

"The medical personnel, teachers, lecturers and county government employees have gone on strike demanding for increase in wages and improved working conditions," he noted

As a result millions of shillings for various ministries, including Health and Interior, have been reduced in the 2016-17 Supplementary Budget.

A sum of Sh21.7 million from the Interior ministry's Policing Services Programme, for operating expenses at GSU headquarters, has been slashed.

Some Sh1.7 billion has been cut from Health ministry under its National Referral and Specialized Services Programme.

An amount of Sh5 billion has been taken from the department of infrastructure under its Road Transport Programme for low volume seal roads.

The Energy ministry has lost Sh500 million for its Power Transmission and Distribution programme for Connectivity Subsidy and Sh100 million for installation of transformers for constituencies.

MPs unanimously passed the budget adjustments.

However in the same breath the lawmakers did not hesitate to approve a proposal to have at least three billion as a send home package for the eight months they will be out of office.

The high court later issued a temporary injunction stopping the treasury and salaries and remunerations committee from processing the approval payout.

While the Member of parliament may be within their rights in trying to end the current labour crisis, what worries is however what long term effect the slashing of these budgetary allocations will pose to the Kenyan economy furthermore how sustainable is the salary increases or it is just another quick fix solution for now until elections is over.