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School laptops budget jumps to Sh12 billion

pupils

Jubilee administration pledged laptops for all Class One pupils. file photo | nmg

The budget for school laptops has been increased 91 per cent to Sh11.9 billion for the year starting July, marking the closure of the digital literacy plan.

The allocation has been raised from Sh6.2 billion that will be spent in the current year ending June, after the budget was slashed in the current fiscal year from Sh13.4 billion.

This marks the last year of the primary school laptop plan that was one of the key planks of the campaign that propelled President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto to power in the 2013 elections.

The Jubilee administration promised to deliver one laptop per Class One pupil upon its election in 2013 but the programme has been dogged by procurement delays and budget cuts.

READ: School laptops cash cut by half to Sh6.7 billion

In a spending reorganisation ahead of the repeat October presidential polls, the laptop project was among the top casualties after its allocation was halved to Sh6.7 billion.
Parliament last week approved another Sh500 million budget cut.