New move to cut MCAs billions foreign trips

Chairman Commission for Revenue Allocation Micah Cheserem. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

NAIROBI, KENYA: The unbridled and wasteful expenditure of billions by county officials on overseas travel could be curtailed as pressure mounts on the Senate to initiate measures to control such trips. The renewed effort to rein in globe-trotting governors and MCAs gained momentum last week after The Standard revealed that some county chiefs were on a spending spree to clear rather than transfer unspent billions to the next financial year which begins Tuesday.

Part of the unspent Sh182 billion included provisions for overseas travel, which at the beginning of the financial year 2013-2014 was curtailed to Sh8 billion.

The proposals may, however, be met with resistance by county governments on the basis that this is a violation of their autonomy, but again that will depend with how Senate will take it, because ultimately this is where the proposals will be discussed and approved or rejected.

The proposed measures include drastic cuts on allocations to foreign travel and allowances to officers travelling, with a proposal that Ministry of Foreign Affairs clears all overseas trips. This will also be backed up with introduction of sanctions such as compelling officials to refund expenditure that overshoots approved budgets.

Officials tasked with overseeing spending of public funds recommended the austerity measures as the financial year closed yesterday, with reports that counties had earmarked Sh8.6 billion for overseas and local travels, and MCAs had spent Sh2.6 billion by December and were in a frenzy to blow the balance of Sh6 billion.

Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) chairman Micah Cheserem said the Senate should immediately liaise with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to control overseas trips by MCAs.

“The first step the Senate should take is to liaise with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that the ministry co-ordinates all foreign travels. The Ministry is able to tell who travelled and for what purpose,” Cheserem explained.

“MCAs should only be cleared to travel outside the country for valid reasons. Otherwise too many delegations making foreign trips are giving the country a bad image abroad,” he said.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen shared the concern saying the trips by MCAs had become far too many that the countries visited were complaining.

“We have many foreign embassies complaining due to the numerous request letters overflowing from MPs and MCA, asking for permission to tour their countries,” Murkomen revealed.

Cheserem suggested the other alternative would be to limit the amount of resources available for foreign travel.

“The Senate must now move with speed to ensure that resources allocated for travel and allowances are limited for the purpose they were meant for. These MCAs are travelling around because they have a lot of money,” added Cheserem.

Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo concurred saying: “All travel allowances allocated for foreign and domestic travel should be drastically reduced.”

Ms Odhiambo, whose County Budget Implementation Review Report as at March 31, 2014, lifted the lid on misuse of public funds, also buttressed the view that all foreign travel by MCAs be co-ordinated by the National Government.

Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki and Murkomen argued the costly trips were not only a waste of public funds but also were hurting the economy.

Prof Kindiki asked the Auditor General to forward the names of those wasting public funds and recommend them for prosecution. “We need to ensure our resources are used for the benefit of our country through development projects,” he said while commissioning Chuka Town roads project in Tharaka Nithi County.

Cheserem also said counties must adhere to recommended budget ceilings to avoid incurring unnecessary expenditures.

MCAs found mismanaging funds allocated for foreign travel would face the law, said the Controller of Budget.

“Ceilings set for travel must be adhered to by the MCA’s. The Auditor General will, however, conduct an audit of the monies spent so far by the counties and those found to have mismanaged will face the law,” she warned.

Cheserem lauded plans by the Chairman of the Council of Governors Isaac Ruto to form the Council of Counties with a secretariat to co-ordinate their activities.

But before its formation, Cheserem said, measures should be taken immediately to stop unjustified foreign trips.

National Assembly budget committee chairman Mutava Musyimi said the country was concerned on the wastages by both national and county governments in foreign trips.

“We are concerned about money going to recurrent expenditure as opposed to development budget in both the national and county government but this is more rampant at the county level. How you spend money tells us where your priorities are,” Mutava told The Standard.

His committee would convene a meeting with all the 47 County Assembly Budget Committees to build capacity on budget-making processes, so as to discuss how to protect the essence of devolution.

“We may have to create budget committees for all the counties and Parliament to discuss and build capacity because the issues raised on spending are fundamental and they may end up undermining the very purpose of devolution if not addressed properly,” he went on.

Chuka Igambang’ombe MP Muthomi Njuki said the trips should be reduced to the important ones. He argued if the funds were channeled to development the country would be prosperous.