Following recent scandals that rocked the Social Health Authority (SHA), the World Bank's Division Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda, Qimiao Fan, has urged the country to urgently adopt a new fiscal compact aimed at addressing the country's health sector investments, rising debt, and worsening jobs crisis. In an opinion piece published in The Standard on Monday, the director argued that spending cuts alone would not close Kenya's fiscal gap and emphasised the need to spend smarter in key sectors such as health and infrastructure. "Protecting investment in health, education, climate resilience, and infrastructure is critical.
But inefficiencies are estimated at about Ksh608 billion, according to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, and are a drain on resources," he wrote.
He illustrated the opportunity cost of such wastage, noting that redirecting even part of the lost funds could finance a new Talanta Stadium and cover the wage bill for 100,000 junior secondary school teachers every year.
An image of World Bank offices.
