This archive report was first published on 23 May 2020.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's 8-Point Economic Stimulus Programme ¶
On May 23, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced an 8-point economic stimulus programme worth Ksh 53.7 billion to cushion the economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The programme aims to stimulate growth, create jobs, and support vulnerable families and businesses.
According to the President, the programme will focus on infrastructure, education, small and medium enterprises, health, and other key sectors.
One of the key elements of the programme is the rehabilitation of access roads, footbridges, and other public infrastructure, which will be undertaken using local labour and materials.
The programme will also allocate Ksh 6.5 billion to the Ministry of Education to hire 10,000 teachers and 1,000 ICT interns to support digital learning.
Additionally, the programme will inject Ksh 3 billion as seed capital for the SME Credit Guarantee Scheme to provide affordable credit to small and micro enterprises.
The President also announced the hiring of an additional 5,000 healthcare workers with diploma/certificate-level qualification for a period of one year to enhance the COVID-19 response capability and the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage programme.
Further, the programme will set aside Ksh 1.7 billion for the expansion of bed capacity in public hospitals.
The programme is part of the government's efforts to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and support vulnerable families and businesses.
