The Ministry of Health has released documents revealing how it has utilised and plans to spend Covid-19 response funds which were pegged on projected 50,000 virus cases on six-months of operations.
The documents were shared in a brief to the National Assembly on response to questions raised regarding updates on Covid-19.
The ministry said funds streams for the fight against Covid-19 pandemic totalled Sh8,077,320,434 from the national government and other stakeholders, including donors.
From the World Bank, the government negotiated Sh1 billion under the Transforming Health Systems for Universal Care Project, a fund that was earmarked for emergency response, including buying personal protective equipment, medicines, setting up of isolation facilities and the operations centre.
Another Sh5 billion from the World Bank was negotiated to support Covid-19 response efforts with Sh2.66 billion already being processed to be accessed through IFMIS.
From the Global Fund, approval was granted for the government to access Sh593,154,534 to conduct 960,000 tests.
The government also received authorisation to reallocate Sh184,165,900 from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to be channeled towards addressing gap areas. The ministry said the budgeting process is ongoing.
From the national government’s Sh300,000,0000 million, the Foreign Affairs ministry said it used Sh10 million to facilitate Kenyan students stuck in Wuhan, China.
Another Sh10,000,000 went to the National Youth Service to provide security at the isolation and quarantine facilities as well as provide buses and personnel.
Kenyatta National Hospital received Sh150,000,000 to provide additional bed capacity at Mbagathi Hospital Isolation Centre while the Defence Ministry got Sh75,000,000 million to teams preparedness and readiness to respond.
An additional Sh5,000,000 went to facilitate media tours and community outreaches while the Health ministry got Sh48,500,000 for providing the medical response and logistics at the isolation and quarantine centres.
KNH, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Mbagathi Covid-19 centre received about Sh413 million for staffing.
Further, counties received Sh498,355, 890 for 1,059 staff.
So far, Sh42 million has been used to lease 15 ambulances for the approved six-month period while Sh14.4 million has been used for fuel and maintenance at Sh40,000 per week for about 30 vehicles.
The tea and snacks that have irked many Kenyans online over perceived wanton waste, the government has spent Sh4 million of the Sh10,125,000 initially approved proposal.
A huge chunk, Sh70 million, has gone to communications while PPEs, lab equipment, Roche test kits, equipment have gobbled up Sh1.064 billion.
