By ROBERT KIPLAGAT

Baringo County Governor Benjamin Cheboi has unveiled a Sh3.9 billion budget estimates for the financial year 2013/2014.

The budget proposal is aimed at spurring development in the county, with a huge chunk going to capital projects.

The county will receive Sh3.1 billion from the National Treasury, while Mr Cheboi and his team will seek Sh412.3 million from donors to boost the kitty.

The governor expects to collect more than Sh394 million from local revenue sources in the 2013/2014 fiscal year.

The Governor’s office was allocated the highest amount, Sh789.3 million. Of the amount Sh125 million will go towards compensation of employees and personnel expenditure.

Sh264.2 million has been set aside for recurrent expenditure and Sh400 million development expenditure.

The governor has allocated Sh622.1 million to other sectors including sports, culture, children and social services while the County Assembly will get Sh415 million.

During the presentation of the proposals, Cheboi said his government is seeking to improve major sources of local revenue like tourism, livestock sale and slaughter.

“In order to improve our tourism revenue, we are going to construct roads, beef up security in conjunction with the national government, and carry extensive marketing of our tourism destinations,” he said. Cheboi allocated Sh265.8 million to improve the livestock sector, which is the second highest revenue earner of the county.

County Speaker William Kamket said the assembly would carry out the oversight role to ensure the budget meets expectations of the electorate.

Meanwhile, Migori County Governor Zachariah Obado has shied away from depending on borrowed money to supplement the budget.

Mr Obado did not factor in any borrowed cash in his budget of Sh4.3 billion for the 2013-2014 financial year.

“We have decided to cut our clothes according to our size”, he said adding that by going for the ‘smaller but manageable’ budget, the county leadership was keen to ensure that they addressed every issue.

The national government will provide Sh4.1 billion while the remaining Sh300 million will be sourced from local revenue avenues.

– Additional reports by Stanley Ongwae and Nicholas Oluoch