Assembly warned against going on recess

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei (second from right) and Bomet Deputy Governor Stephen Mutai (left) and Saseta secondary school Board of Management chairman Julius Tuei (second from right) are entertained yesterday during the school's prize giving day.PHOTO:CHARLES NGENO/STANDARD

Bomet, Kenya: An exchange of words has ensued between the executive and county assembly over threats to adjourn due to alleged shortage of funds.

Deputy Governor Stephen Mutai has now asked the assembly to borrow funds from other allocations after it exhausted the Sh265 million allocated in the current fiscal year as the matter is sorted out.

Mr Mutai said the assembly should not close shop as proposed by Speaker Geoffrey Kipngetich, saying the move was uncalled for, drastic and unconstitutional.

But the assembly has insisted it can not continue without sufficient funds to finance operations.

The assembly is demanding to have its annual allocations raised to Sh336million to fund its operations, including paying sitting allowances for Members of County Assembly.

Yesterday, Mutai revealed that a tripartite meeting between the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), the executive and the assembly members will be held on Tuesday next week to discuss the financial crisis facing the assembly.

 REALIGN BUDGET

"A supplementary budget to be tabled in the next one week by the executive will address the financial deficit facing the assembly. As such, the Assembly should not close shop as that would affect operations and programmes in both levels of government," Mutai said when he addressed the Press in his office.

Mutai confirmed that he had received a letter from the speaker seeking a meeting with the executive to discuss the matter with a view to salvaging the situation.

"I have consulted CRA and we have agreed to set a tripartite meeting for March 31, to address the issue. The county government can not break the ceiling on allocations to the assembly set by CRA without the authority of the Commission," Mutai said.

He however, said the Assembly could realign its budget internally by borrowing from other vote heads to fund their operations until the issue is sorted out.