Millions of shillings unspent in counties

(Photo: Courtesy)

A number of counties have yet to re-allocate unspent funds running into millions of shillings from the previous financial year.

This is because their executives have yet to draft supplementary budgets to give the counties power to spend the funds on various sectors.

In Elgeyo Marakwet, Sh774 million out of a Sh 4.7 billion budget for the 2016/17 financial year has not been spent.

In Uasin Gishu, Sh836 million is still unspent from the Sh7.2 billion budgeted for the year 

The county assembly in June this year approved a Sh7.4 billion budget for financial year 2017/18, but some of the funds might not be spent unless a supplementary budget is tabled, which might be next year.

“Currently we are on recess and we are waiting on finance department to come up with the supplementary budget. We cannot do anything with the funds now, not even paying pending bills,” said Jonathan Ng'etich, the chairman of the budget and appropriation committee.

He said the Controller of Budget had raised concerns about the county's expenditure and that discussions on unspent funds cannot be held unless a supplementary budget is in place.