Moi seeks answers on county expenditure

Baringo Senator Gideon Moi during an interview at Lord Erroll restaurant in Nairobi. [Pius Cheruiyot/Standard]

The leadership of Baringo and 10 other counties will be required to explain why they failed to meet their development targets in the last financial year.

This was after Baringo Senator Gideon Moi presented a statement in the Senate yesterday in which he wanted a House committee to explain why some counties spent more on recurrent expenditures instead of development.

Gideon is concerned that some counties exceeded the ceiling on recurrent expenditure to pay salaries, wages and travel as well as sitting allowances in the last financial year.

Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Trans-Nzoia, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Laikipia, Kiambu, Murang’a, Vihiga and Narok were other counties with increased recurrent expenditure. “The Committee on Finance and Budget should explain mechanisms put in place for the above-mentioned counties to meet their development budget gaps, in particular, Baringo County, whose increase in equitable share was Sh103.8 million while its recurrent expenditure ceiling is Sh167.70 million,” said Gideon.

In the statement, Gideon further wants the committee chaired by Senator Mohamed Mahamud (Mandera) to state whether it considered reports from the office of the controller of budget regarding absorption of funds when making proposals to the county recurrent expenditure ceilings in the last fiscal year.

“The committee should also explain whether the absence of a framework on costing functions of devolved units disadvantages some sectors in the counties.”

Temporary Speaker Margaret Kamar (Uasin-Gishu) committed the statement to the Finance Committee for consideration.

In the last financial year, counties received a total Sh341 billion, where equitable share of national government revenue was Sh302 billion. Other funds were conditional allocations.

The 47 counties received Sh376 billion in 2018-2019 financial year, with equitable share from the State being Sh314 billion.

This came as Controller of Budget Agness Odhiambo once again raised a red flag over the ballooning wage bill in counties.

In her latest report, Ms Odhiambo is also concerned with the sharp decline of local revenues generated and the many pending bills.

She has accused counties of improperly implementing the 2016/2017 budget.

The report shows that expenditure on salaries and allowances increased by about Sh20 billion to Sh151 billion from the Sh130 billion spent during the last financial year.

The law requires a county to spend 35 per cent of its budget on recurrent expenditure.