Big win for pending bills payment as second Supplimentary Budget passed in Kitui Assembly

Kitui County Assembly on Tuesday passed the second supplementary budget for the Kitui County Government expenditure of KSh.12, 306,052,565 for the financial year 2022-2023.The budget  factored the payment  of pending bills and set aside KSh.1.43 billion for various departments for the same purpose.

Initially only around KSh. 980 million had been allocated to pending bills.But the supplementary budget that was presented by the chairperson of the assembly budget and appropriation committee, Zacchaeus Syengo, saw the budget reduced by KSh72,953,191 from the initial KSh.12,379,005,756 budget. 

However, Syengo who is also the MCA for Voo/Kyamatu Ward attributed the scaling down for the budget to the whittling down of grants that were initially expected by the county by KSh.92. 95 million. He said, however, that the own source revenue collection was scaled up by Sh. 20 million. 

MCA Syengo noted that the Kitui County Assembly budget as submitted by the County Assembly Service Board was maintained in the initial figure of KSh.1.5 billion. He said any funds realignment and reallocation were accommodated in the original sum. 

The budget committee boss noted that  the supplementary budget presented  from the Executive indicated that  KSh. 3.6 billion was set aside for development while KSh. 8.6 billion was earmarked  for recurrent expenditure. He observed that is not the best for the county’s development requirements.“The submitted budget had a development and recurrent expenditure of KSh. 3,637, 206,181 and KSh. 8,668,846,384 which translates to 30 % and 70 % respectively.This is a very lean development budget taking into account the county development needs,” observed Syengo.

MCA Syengo said the budget also saw the own source revenue upped by KSh. 20 million  from the projected Sh.400 million to Sh. 420 million  because  revenue collection appeared  to have improved  by  the end of March 2023.“Submissions by representatives from the ministry of finance indicated that as at March 31st, 2023, the county had collected slightly over KSh. 327 million  which averages a collection of KSh. 37 million a month and thus probable to attain the new target,” he said.

The Supplementary Budget II that comes about two months to the end of the financial year was debated and overwhelmingly passed without any dissent during a Special Sitting presided over by Speaker Kevin Katisya.It was seconded by Syengo as vice chairman, Slyvester Munyalo,who represents Matinyani ward and the MCA for Tharaka ward Godfrey Ndangara describing it as a "Mwananchi Supplementary Budget".

MCAs had to be recalled from their April recess for three-day special sitting through a special Kenya gazette notice by the Speaker to deliberate on the Supplementary Budget II and pass the attendant appropriation bill.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT