Debate on budget estimates flops after committee members clash

Nyamira County governor John Nyagarama

Members of the Nyamira County Assembly have shot down the 2018/2019 budget after members of the Budget Committee disowned it, saying it had been doctored.

This has caused fear in the Executive, with less than three days remaining for county assemblies to submit their budget estimates to the exchequer.

The document was tabled a week ago by Magombo Ward MCA Richard Onyinkwa, the chairman of the committee.

Leader of Minority Denis Kebaso said the document lacked annexures of pending bills.

"I'm a member of the committee but I want to disown this document because it does not have copies of computer-generated lists of pending bills, a condition which I gave to support the document in the House," Mr Kebaso said.

Itibo Ward MCA Samuel Nyanchama said he (Kebaso) was doing his role of whistle blowing.

"Being in the House for the second term, I have experience that there are whistle-blowers in the assembly and they should be taken seriously. When you see some committee members disowning their fellow members, it raises suspicion and it should not be taken lightly," Nyanchama said.

The Speaker deferred discussions on the budget document to today for deliberations before the Committee of the Whole House so as to resolve the contentious issues.

"Owing to the deadlines we have to pass the budget estimates, it is very important that we execute the role. I therefore refer the Motion to the Committee of the House and I expect the report to be debated tomorrow in the afternoon," Teya directed.