Relief for Ayacko as MCAs endorse Sh10.8b budget

Migori County Governor Ochilo Ayacko on May 4, 2025 at Kadika primary during President William Ruto Migori County tour (Caleb Kingwara, standard)

Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko has received a boost in his quest to implement community projects after Members of the County Assembly endorsed Sh10.8 billion budget for the 2025/2026.

The administration, which has been under pressure to deliver, now hopes projects such as road maintenance, water, improvement of health facilities, markets, boda-boda shades and Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centres would help improve its performance.

The MCAs also hope residents will receive better services. While addressing the press on June 24, Assembly Speaker Christopher Rusana, said after interrogating the document, they found it was a people-based budget.

"This is because the development percentage in the budget, and more so community projects have increased," Mr Rusana said.

He said they hope in the financial year of 2025/2026, residents would be served better in terms of services and programmes. Ken Ouma, the majority leader and South Sakwa MCA said each and every MCA had a responsibility of ensuring that projects proposed in the budget were actualised.

"About 94 per cent of the 2024/2025 FY's community projects are actually done. In terms of implementation, it is 95 per cent as we speak," Mr Ouma said.

Community projects have been allocated Sh700 million for ward initiatives, with major focus on placed on roads at 52.2 per cent, water and energy at 20.4 per cent and health at 8.5 per cent.

The budget had Sh227.46 million allocated for the clearance of pending bills. From the Sh10.8 billion budget, Sh6.66 billion which is equivalent to 61.5 per cent will be used for recurrent expenditure and while Sh4.17 billion (38.5 per cent) will be for development projects.

The administration aims at sourcing its Sh8.39 billion from equitable share, Sh1.67 billion in conditional grants, and Sh760 million from own source revenue.

The health sector holds the lion's share at Sh2.72 billion, followed by roads which has an allocation of Sh1.23 billion.