Assembly yet to pass supplementary budget

Chama Cha Mashinani party leader who is also Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto with the party's Governorship aspirant in Nakuru County Dr. Peter Koros during a campaign tour of Mauche, Marishoni and majani mingi in Kuresoi. Koros is being fronted for the seat by the party leader.PHOTO BY GILBERT KIMUTAI/STANDARD

A supplementary budget in the county assembly is yet to be passed even as MCAs prepare for party primaries this month.

The revelation also comes at a time when the county is expected to table before the assembly budgetary estimates for the 2017-18 financial year.

Governor Isaac Ruto said the stand-off was as a result of a dispute over Sh600 million development fund the ward representatives were demanding.

Mr Ruto said Speaker Kipngetich Korir and a section of MCAs were arm-twisting the executive into allocating the money for the construction of a wall around the assembly, a gate, offices, and a residential house for the Speaker and landscaping.

EXECUTIVE OPPOSED

Speaking during a meeting with leaders from Bomet Central at Silibwet Youth Polytechnic at the weekend, Governor Ruto said the executive was opposed to the move as it was not a priority for now.

A contractor awarded a tender to put up the wall at the county assembly abandoned the work halfway following the failure to allocate funds for the project.

Ruto revealed that the executive had utilised Sh61 million from the defunct Transition Authority (TA) to construct the official governor’s office which is about to be completed.

He said the dispute over allocation of the funds and which was being discussed by the two levels of government, would be ironed out in a few days.

Ruto said the MCAs had the final say on the matter but should put development at the grassroots ahead of anything else.

“We should get our development priorities right,” he said.