Kenya’s new budget for the 2016–2017 financial year was revealed in parliament recently. The budget emphasizes security and defense, youth resources, public works, and improved education in Kenya.

With Sh124 billion state funds going towards the Defense Ministry, security is by far the biggest priority in the new budget. This is possibly a response to the gruesome terrorist attacks perpetrated by the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab last year.

The money will go towards modernizing the military and police forces, with an emphasis on strengthening police to prevent future terrorism.

A significant portion of the new budget will go towards Kenyan youth programs. The youth are by far the nation’s largest demographic as people under the age of 24 make up 60% of the country’s population.

While public education in Kenya has improved in recent years, youth unemployment has remained at 17% since 2010. This is a concern for such a young country. Recognizing this, the Kenyatta administration has put an additional Sh21 billion towards the National Youth Service initiative.

Education in Kenya also saw a major bonus from the new budget. Approximately 24% of children in Kenya are child laborers, despite the relatively high literacy rate.

A new Sh19 billion was allocated for education in the new budget. According to the Treasury Secretary, the money will go towards making the youth “employable by preparing them for the job market and contributing to nation building.”

The new budget also funds free maternal healthcare and several new public works projects. Kenya is still a largely rural country, with three-quarters of the country reliant on agriculture. For that reason, the budget allocates Sh20 Billion for the ongoing irrigation projects. The hope is that improving agriculture can get people off of subsistence farming and alleviate poverty.

Despite the numerous problems that the new budget seeks to address, Kenya has been improving significantly in recent years. The life expectancy has steadily increased since the early 2000s, and the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has been decreasing since 1992, alongside steady GDP growth.

Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund project that Kenya will continue on the path to economic success.

– John English

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