Counties break law and pay assembly members more than allowed

Kisumu Governor Jack Rakuoma (left) confers with Migori counterpart Okoth Obado during the opening of a consultative forum between the Senate, Council of Governors and the County Assemblies Forum on Public finance at the Serena Beach Hotel, February 13, 2015. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

Nyanza and Western county governments paid their MCAs more in sitting allowances than is allowed by the law.

The Governments Budget Implementation Review Report (GBIRR), which covered the 2015/16 financial year, reveals the counties also paid more in personnel emolument as well as domestic and foreign travel.

According to the report that covers July 2015 to March this year, Busia paid Sh202,969 to an MCA per month, followed by Taita Taveta at Sh172,810, Siaya Sh166,830, Trans Nzoia Sh152,044, Homa Bay 148,525, Nyandarua Sh142,726, Samburu Sh141,003, Kisii Sh138,899, Kisumu Sh134,665 and Vihiga Sh134,163.

Murang'a paid Sh31,468, Wajir Sh41,866 and Marsabit Sh55,573 as monthly sitting allowance.

The maximum sitting allowances recommended by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) per month is Sh124,000.

The report by the Controller of Budget (CoB) notes the sitting allowances translate to 56.1 per cent of the approved annual budget allocation of Sh3.71 billion.

The report also indicates county governments spent Sh7.15 billion on domestic and foreign travel, against an approved budget of Sh11.33 billion.

This represents 63.1 per cent of the total budget allocation for domestic and foreign travel. The expenditure was an increment of Sh1.44 billion from Sh5.71 billion in the first nine months of the 2014/2015 financial year.

Nairobi spent the highest amount on domestic and foreign travel at Sh320.93 million, followed by Okoth Obado's Migori County at Sh272.93 million.

At the same time, Homa Bay County comes at second position in local revenue as a proportion of the annual revenue target at 76.2 per cent after Laikipia County, which is at 78.2 per cent.

Kakamega County holds position three for receiving the highest disbursement of the equitable share of revenue at Sh5.21 billion. Nairobi led with Sh8.77 billion.

Kisumu received the least allocation of Sh113.44 million as part of a conditional grant to its Level 5 Hospital.

Kakamega, Bungoma and Busia missed out on the Danish International Development Agency (Danida) grant for failing to meet agreed-upon conditions.

The conditions include the use of Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (Ifmis) in disbursing funds to health facilities' bank accounts and full accounting for the previous amounts disbursed.

But Cornel Rasanga's Siaya County got the money, amounting to Sh27.53 million. Kitui topped the list, receiving Sh36.99 million.

Kakamega County also received the highest amount of money for development at Sh2.52 billion and recorded the highest expenditure on development at Sh2.45 billion. Turkana got the lion's share at Sh4.78 billion.