This archive report was first published on 23 May 2020.
On May 23, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled a Ksh53.7 billion stimulus package to combat the economic storm caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The package, worth $503 million, aims to support micro and small business enterprises, as well as the tourism sector, which has been heavily disrupted by the pandemic.
President Kenyatta announced that infrastructure spending will be ramped up to stimulate and support micro and small business enterprises. He said that road infrastructure has been adversely affected across the country due to the ongoing rains.
"To address this challenge in the short term, we intend to rehabilitate access roads, footbridges, and other public infrastructure," he said.
He added that Ksh5 billion has been set aside to hire local labour for this undertaking.
Additionally, the government will inject Ksh3 billion as seed capital for the SME Credit Guarantee Scheme to provide affordable credit to small and micro enterprises.
The tourism sector will also benefit from the stimulus package, with soft loans to hotels and related establishments, as well as support for community conservancies and community scouts under the Kenya Wildlife Service.
Furthermore, the government will hire 5,000 more healthcare workers with diploma and certificate education level for one year to enhance the public health system.
