Cash crisis looms over delay to present budget to MCAs

Nyandarua County Assembly Speaker Ndegwa Wahome (centre) and other house officials at a past session. [File, Standard]

A cash crisis looms in the county following a delay by the executive to present the financial budget proposals. 

The executive failed to beat the June 30 deadline.

Finance Executive Mary Mugwanja has only presented the budget estimates to the Committee on General Oversight. It highlighted the activities the county government intended to undertake and finance in its Sh6.3 billion budget proposals.

The official, however, has not presented the budget proposal, whose deadline was on June 30.

Summon executive

MCAs have threatened to summon the executive over the matter.

While presenting the budget highlights to the assembly two weeks ago, Ms Mugwanja give to present the budget proposals by July 10.

County Speaker Ndegwa Wahome termed the delay serious, saying: “There has been no explanation, and this might affect the operations of the county government. The budget making process has its timelines, which the executive has failed to follow”.

Wahome said the law under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) was silent on what to do to an official who delays to present the budget.

“The PFMA does not offer sanctions where the budget are submitted late to the county assembly, and, therefore, the House will have to focus on passing this instrument, which is critical to the development of Nyandarua,” he said.