Nairobi — Stalled or delayed projects under the Economic Stimulus Programme are now set to be revived following the passage of the Appropriations Bill last week, Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta has said.

Mr Kenyatta admitted that various projects under the package were behind schedule but said there was now no cause for alarm as they would soon be up and kicking.

Speaking at his Treasury office Monday after the Japanese Government gave Kenya a Sh51 million cultural grant aid, Mr Kenyatta said of the Sh22billion stimulus: "We are slightly behind schedule because we took time to pass the budget and prepare framework."

"We are already tendering and once procurement process is complete, he programme will take off," Mr Kenyatta said.

Mr Kenyatta had on September 16 withdrawn the Appropriations Bill from the House business Order Paper amid acrimony among MPs following the controversial re-appointment of Justice Aaron Ringera as director of the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (Kacc).

Mr Ringera later resigned resulting to the passage of the crucial Bill last week.

MPs had threatened to freeze budgetary allocations to the KACC if Mr Ringera and his two other former assistants did not quit.

The passage of the Bill allowed the government to get money from the Exchequer to meet public expenditure during the financial year ending on June 30, 2010.

As part of the stimulus package, the government in its 2009/2010 Budget moved to boost the CDF kitty in its quest to bridge the country's growing regional disparity.

Most of the development funds will be channelled through the line ministries.

Of the Sh50 billion earmarked for development spending at the constituency level, about Sh18 billion are to be managed by the constituency offices.

The remaining fraction includes a Sh22 billion --or Sh105 million per constituency --to be disbursed as a "conditional" economic stimulus or resilience package.

The money will be used to finance construction--at the constituency level of new schools, health centres as well as repair and maintenance of constituency roads.

A blueprint of the Sh22 billion conditional stimulus plan showed that at least two primary schools in every constituency will benefit from the procurement of water harvesting facilities at a total cost of Sh1.47 billion while some 200 constituencies will also have one secondary school upgraded into a "centre for excellence" at a total cost of Sh1.26 billion.

One mobile digital laboratory would also be purchased for secondary schools in each constituency and 50 teachers hired for primary and 10 for secondary schools in each constituency on contract basis. This plan has, however been shelved following protests by the Kenya National Union of Teachers which wants the teachers employed permanently.

The stimulus plan also factors in establishment of a tree fund for 20 primary schools in all the constituencies while farmers in 180 constituencies are planned to benefit from newly-built wholesale and fresh produce markets. The giant jua kali (informal) sector is also listed to benefit from the construction of sheds and purchase of equipment. A further 140 constituencies are set to benefit from the construction of 200 fish ponds at a cost of Sh1 billion.

An upbeat Mr Kenyatta was hopeful that the country will register positive economic gains due to rains pounding various areas.

"We hope positive effect in last quarter of the year," he said, adding that the government was ensuring farmers got seeds and fertilisers to help recoup losses due to previous drought.

On the return of fuel guzzlers by top government officials, Mr Kenyattta said there was a shortage of 12 Passat vehicles for accounting officers.

He said it is the accounting officers who should act on top officials who are yet to return their top of range vehicles to help cut costs.

"The accounting officers know what they are supposed to do," he said.