Counties spend huge on unnecessary things- Controller of budget says

County governments allocated more than half of their budgets to non-essential items like trips, gifts, salaries, and legal fees.

A new report by the Controller of Budget (COB) Dr. Margaret Nyakang’o indicates that most counties directed their funds towards domestic and international travel allowances, sitting allowances for Members of the County Assemblies, waste management, legal fees, vehicle purchases, membership fees and subscriptions, printing, advertising, bank charges, fuel, constituency office costs, and publicity.

Additional expenditures encompass funds used for board meetings, seminars, and conferences, along with attending overseas conferences to receive training on water harvesting techniques and resource information.

The report reveals that for MCA Sitting Allowance, County Assemblies utilized Sh290. 23 million on sitting allowances, compared to an approved budget of Sh1. 88 billion during the reporting period.

This spending accounts for 15 percent of the approved MCAs sitting allowance budget, down from 16 percent in the first quarter of FY 2023/24 when Sh312. 98 million was expended

Only the County Assemblies of Garissa, Nyamira and Trans Nzoia counties did not report any expenditure on MCAs’ sitting allowances during the period under review.

Reads the report: “During the period, the Controller of Budget identified some challenges that hindered effective budget execution. These challenges included delays in submission of County Appropriation Acts, Budget Books and Governors Warrants for FY 2024/25 to OCoB.”

The report shows that Baringo county spent Sh112.5 million on Executive Car Scheme Fund yet it did not budget for Youth and Women Fund and older persons and Persons with serving Disability Fund.

Reads the report: “Expenditure on domestic travel amounted to Sh18.11 million, comprising Sh12.83 million spent by the County Assembly and Sh5.28 million by the County Executive.”

In Hillary Barchok’s Bomet, the report shows that the county spent Sh10.5 million on garbage collection while expenditure on domestic travel amounted to Sh18.51 million comprising Sh11.84 million spent by the County Assembly and Sh6.66 million by the Executive.

In Bungoma county, governed by Ken Lusaka, the report shows that the county spent Sh28.89 million on garbage collection. The Assembly spent Sh9.95 million on committee sitting allowances for the 63 MCAs against the annual budget allocation of Sh28.18 million.