Counties spent Sh72m on MCAs sitting allowances

Migori, Trans Nzoia and Mombasa jointly spent Sh72.7 million on sitting allowances in the first quarter of 2015-16 financial year.

A report by the Controller of Budget shows that MCAs in Migori earned an average of Sh177,849 per month, while their counterparts in Trans Nzoia made Sh169,827. Those in Mombasa were paid Sh153,827. This is way above the recommended ceiling by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

According to the report, sitting allowances paid out by these county assemblies exceeded the recommended payout of Sh124,800 per month. Migori County assembly spent Sh32.55 million on sitting allowances for 61 MCAs, against an annual sitting allowance budget of Sh126.88 million.

While Trans Nzoia County failed to spend development funds during the three months under review, the county assembly paid its 39 MCAs Sh20.38 million in sitting allowances. This was an increase from Sh18 million in the first quarter of the 2014-15 financial year.

Trans Nzoia’s expenditure on domestic and foreign travel in the period under review totalled Sh20.9 million incurred by the county executive and Sh21.2 million by the county assembly.

A report by the Controller of Budget last year revealed that MCAs from Trans Nzoia received an average of Sh191,467 in allowances in the 2014-15 financial year raking in the highest payout. The 43 Mombasa MCAs collectively earned Sh19.8 million in sitting allowances - an increase from Sh12.1 million spent in the first quarter of the 2015-16 financial year.

Other counties which reported high sitting allowance pay outs to MCAs were Homa Bay which spent an average of Sh147,225 per month, Kisii Sh137,281, Meru Sh133,597 and Nyeri Sh136,735.

Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo said county assemblies spent Sh632.9 million on sitting allowances in the first quarter of this financial year. This was an increase from the Sh599 million spent during the same period in 2014-15.

A circular by SRC sets the minimum total remunerative package for an MCA at Sh185,200, with the highest earning lawmaker taking home Sh217,000. Tharaka Nithi MCAs received the lowest average monthly sitting allowances at Sh15,721, followed by Baringo at Sh27,733 and Taita Taveta at Sh28,704.

The analysis of MCAs’ sitting allowances for the first quarter of this financial year does not include expenditure returns for the Vihiga and Nyamira county assemblies. The report shows that the Vihiga treasury did not provide an expenditure report on MCAs’ siting allowances while the Nyamira County report indicated that members had not been paid any sitting allowances during the period under review.

The total expenditure on domestic and foreign travel in the period under review amounted to Sh1.95 billion against an approved annual budget allocation of Sh9.72 billion.

This was an increase from Sh1.80 million reported in the first quarter of 2014-15. Nairobi City County reported the highest spending on domestic and foreign travel after spending Sh160 million in the first quarter.

Machakos and Kiambu spent Sh88.38 million and Sh80.52 million respectively. Lamu, Garissa and Narok reported the lowest expenditure on travel at Sh12.29 million, Sh11.80 million and Sh.4.73 million, respectively.

Ms Odhiambo said that Homa Bay, Nairobi, Nyeri, Taita Taveta, Tharaka Nithi and West Pokot, continue to flout the law by spending local revenues at  source.