By Erestinah Jane | July 7, 2026
The National Assembly has approved the government’s budget estimates for the new financial year after adopting the Budget and Appropriations Committee’s report, paving the way for the introduction of the Appropriation Bill that will authorize the withdrawal of funds from the Consolidated Fund.
The House adopted the committee’s recommendations following extensive scrutiny of the proposed expenditure, with lawmakers endorsing allocations aimed at supporting key sectors, including education, healthcare and social protection.
Moving the motion for the adoption of the report, Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairperson Hon. Samuel Atandi said the estimates were the result of wide-ranging consultations involving parliamentary committees, the National Treasury and members of the public.
“The report is a product of exhaustive consultations with all departmental committees, the National Treasury, and stakeholders during public participation exercises. It strikes a critical balance between fiscal consolidation and funding key priority areas,” Atandi told the House.
The approved estimates establish the government’s expenditure framework for the new financial year, outlining funding priorities intended to support economic growth, improve public service delivery and maintain fiscal discipline amid competing national demands.
Among the major allocations approved by the House is funding to employ 20,000 intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, a move expected to strengthen staffing levels in public schools and improve the delivery of education. Parliament also allocated additional resources for capitation in higher education institutions, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, and the continued expansion of infrastructure for Junior Secondary Schools.
The healthcare sector also received significant funding, with lawmakers approving KSh19.1 billion for the Primary Healthcare Fund to enhance access to essential health services across the country. A further KSh4 billion was earmarked for the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund, which will support the implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA) by assisting patients requiring specialized and high-cost medical care.
Parliament also reaffirmed its commitment to protecting vulnerable groups by allocating KSh25 billion for cash transfer programmes benefiting older persons. An additional KSh8.9 billion was approved to support orphans and vulnerable children through existing social protection initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods and cushioning disadvantaged households against economic hardship.
With the adoption of the Budget and Appropriations Committee’s report, the approved estimates will now be incorporated into the Appropriation Bill, which grants the government the legal authority to withdraw and spend money from the Consolidated Fund during the new financial year.
The approval marks a key milestone in the national budget process and clears the way for ministries, departments and state agencies to begin implementing government programmes once the Appropriation Bill is enacted into law. The spending plan reflects Parliament’s effort to balance fiscal discipline with continued investment in priority sectors considered critical to Kenya’s economic growth, human capital development and social welfare.
