Uproar as Kenyan Government Spends Sh4 Million World Bank Donation to Buy Tea, Snacks

A document showing how the Health Ministry spent Sh1 billion donated by the World Bank towards Kenya’s response to Covid-19 has infuriated Kenyans online.

Social media users have questioned the budget set aside for the acquisition of various goods and services, terming the expenditure as over-exaggerated.

The document shows that Sh42 million was spent on leasing 15 ambulances and Sh12 million was used to accommodate 30 healthcare workers in need of quarantine services for 90 days.

Sh2 million has been used to buy airtime for at least 500 workers and the figure is expected to jump to Sh6 million, with each worker receiving Sh4,000 monthly for 3 months.

In addition, Sh14.4 million was set aside for fueling and maintaining 30 cars at a rate of Sh40,000 per vehicle. The budget for tea and snacks is Sh10 million, of which Sh4 million has already been spent.

Sh6.5million has been allocated on stationery, Sh70 million on communications, while procurement and installation of a call center cost Sh11.8 million. Printing of travelers, quarantine, and discharge forms will gobble up Sh9 million.

Here is what Kenyans online had to say about the expenditure:

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Nelson Havi tweeted: “Kshs 42,000,000.00 is the average purchase price for 10 ambulances. Is there anybody who advises this Government?”

@DavidNdii wondered: “ Ambulance lease at 2.8m each? For how long? 
Sh13.5m for 30 HCWs  “needing quarantine for 90 days.” 90 each or in total (3 each?).  Neither makes sense. 
Sh15.5m stationery (6.5m + 9m for quarantine docs). @ Sh5/sheet, its 6000+ reams!
Scam. No wonder they are infecting people.”

@gathara noted: “According to @MOH_Kenya responses to the National Assembly, nearly 10% of the Sh1 billion GoK got from @WorldBank "for emergency response" was spent on airtime for staff, stationery and tea and snacks, and communication with Sh9m used just to print forms.”
 
@chrisodero01 wrote: “Someone somewhere spent Ksh 4M on snacks yet in the same country a mother had to boil stones just to give her children hope and get them to sleep. Fellow kenyans!!!! #MoneyHeist.”

@ThisIsMusyoka said: “Fellow Kenyans were quick to praise Kagwe but see how quickly he is failing. His office has spent 4M on tea and 9M on printing documents that relate to corona virus in the last one month alone while all he does is read the number of people tested positive like an Mc#MoneyHeist.”

@OleItumbi stated: “Tea in Government is served to very few people. In essence therefore this Shs.4m @WorldBank Tea is served in the Minister, TWO PSs, CAS, Director of Medical Services and Administrative Secretary office. Add their Secretaries. Round off to 20 people. #MoneyHeist.”

@CaptainDominicO said: “Intensive Corruption Unit-lead surgeon is Mutahi Kagwe.70million allocated for PR.
Corona de papel #MoneyHeist.”

@CarolRadull noted: “Please tell me these government figures are incorrect 😳 While jobless Kenyans are being forced to pay for forced quarantine and a mother cooks stones to make her kids think food is coming 😥 #MoneyHeist.”