Ministry of Health CS Mutahi Kagwe

State officials spent up to Ksh 1 billion in travel and hospitality expenses in the six months to December 2020, despite the global ban on travel and local covid-19 containment measures.

According to the Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, much of the spending, estimated at Sh628 million, was spent within the four months of lockdown.

Kenya banned domestic and international flights in March 2020 and restricted movement into four counties including Nairobi and Mombasa to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hotels, Bars and restaurants were also affected by the COVID-19 containment measures as the country made efforts to control the spread of coronavirus.

Kenya announced the first case of covid-19 in the country on March 13, 2020.

“The Ministry of Health has today confirmed the first case of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case in Nairobi. A Kenyan citizen who returned the USA via London, the United Kingdom on the 5th March 2020. She was confirmed positive at NIC Labs,” CS Mutahi Kagwe said.

The covid-19 containment measures put in place by the government that included a countrywide dusk to dawn curfew, closure of hotels and bars had a negative impact on businesses that led to massive layoffs and closure of hotels and bars.

According to the report by Margaret Nyakang’o, State officials spent Sh1.9 billion on hospitality at a period when hotels and restaurants remained largely closed.

That public servants still managed to spend millions at a time when the president had also issued a directive asking for non-workers to work from home is quite baffling.

More Kenyans Living in Poverty – New Report Shows

More Kenyans are now living in poverty due to the covid-19 pandemic. According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Fact Sheet 2021, released in January this year, the number of Kenyans living in poverty increased from 38.9% to 53% of the population between 2014 and 2018.

Living in poverty is considered as more than just the lack of income; it encompasses lack of access to healthcare, education, decent shelter and other basic services. 54 percent of women and 52 percent of men in Kenya are living in poverty while 35 percent of both genders are living below the national poverty line.

More Kenyans Living in Poverty – New Report Shows