This archive report was first published on 23 April 2020.
On April 23, 2020, the Star Newspaper published a story that sparked widespread debate and outrage in Kenya.
The article claimed the government had spent Sh40 billion since the first day of the coronavirus pandemic and was using Sh1 billion daily to combat the virus.
However, the Treasury quickly refuted the claims, stating that the allocated Sh40.3 billion had not yet been disbursed.
Instead, Sh13 billion had been disbursed for SME support and payment of pending bills.
The Star Newspaper was forced to retract the story and apologize for the 'mistake', citing embarrassment caused to the Cabinet Secretary.
Despite the correction, the damage had already been done, with many questioning the government's handling of public funds during the pandemic.
