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MPs set to go on recess Thursday

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The Parliament in Nairobi on January 06, 2017.PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO

The National Assembly breaks for a long-term recess Thursday but after passing the Supplementary Appropriation bill.

The bill is a special one and gives government the go ahead to spend the Sh46.7 billion passed on Wednesday in supplementary budget to fund key government projects among them the October 26 fresh presidential election and the free secondary education from January next year.

The House is expected back one week after the election.

Majority leader Aden Dualle will table the Bill in the afternoon when the House resumes its sittings.

Unlike the other Bills, which are required to go through the required processes like public hearings, the Supplementary Appropriation bill will be tabled and passed in one sitting. 

This means that it will have to go through the three stages at ago- the first reading, which is the introduction, second reading, the debate stage and the third reading, the stage where MPs introduce changes to bills.

Mini-budget

In the supplementary budget, Sh12 billion was allocated to finance the fresh presidential election with Sh2 billion for the upgrade of Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits, buying of election materials, general operations, wages and allowances for election officials and the police among others.

Network providers; Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom- Kenya will consume Sh1 billion.

The MPs also awarded themselves extra Sh1.5 billion for the National Government-Constituency Development Fund. The amount is on top of the Sh30.9 billion allocated in the current financial year.

The Ministry of Education has been given Sh25 billion to finance free secondary education from January next year including expanding the existing infrastructure to cater for the expected increase in the enrolment of students.

The government will also hire extra 10,000 teachers, to be factored in the next supplementary budget, early next year.

The social action plan commonly known as Inua Jamii has been given Sh6.5 billion to cater for those over 70 years and above so that they can lead descent lives in their old age.

The government will also spend Sh2 billion for the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons arising from the 2008 post-election violence.