A Member of County Assembly (MCA) who spoke to Capital FM News on condition of anonymity said the budget is ready, but they are holding it until Governor Nyong’o acts on the resolution of the House to impeach Finance CEC Nerry Achar/FILE – GOV.UK
KISUMU, Kenya, Aug 14 – The Kisumu County Assembly on Wednesday adjourned a sitting convened for the debate of the 2019/20 budget after the House was informed the budget document was not ready for tabling.
County workers will now have to wait longer for their July salaries with development plans set to stall over lack of funding.
Most counties are facing a financial crisis triggered by the failure by the National Assembly and the Senate to agree on the shareable allocation for counties.
The former had proposed Sh310 billion while the latter insisted on Sh335 billion. The disagreement has delayed a resolution of the Revenue Division Bill 2019.
The Kisumu County Assembly had gazetted Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the impeachment of County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Finance Nerry Achar and to pass the 2019/2020 financial year budget.
The impeachment motion was debated upon and passed Tuesday with the MCAs convening Wednesday to pass the long-awaited budget.
A Member of County Assembly (MCA) who spoke to Capital FM News on condition of anonymity said the budget is ready, but they are holding it until Governor Anyang Nyong’o acts on the resolution of the House to impeach Finance CEC Achar.
The source said MCAs are ready to convene a Special Sitting any day before the resumption date only if Nyong’o appoints a substantive Finance CEC.
“The budget is ready, but we are using it as a shield to compel Governor Nyong’o to send Achar home and give us another candidate for the position,” the MCA said.
READ: Kisumu Finance Executive impeached as order restraining House debate lapses
MCAs expressed shock after learning that the budget document was not ready for tabling forcing the Assembly to adjourn to September.
Temporary Speaker Victor Rodgers announced the adjournment.
Nominated MCA Jennifer Obonyo expressed regret over the aborted debate noting the delayed approval of funds had triggered a strike by county staff affecting devolved functions.
Obonyo said the House Budget Committee Chairperson told the House that the delay was occasioned by the failure by some MCAs to furnish the committee with projects in their wards.
She said the county is now at a standstill due to the budget stalemate and blamed a clique of MCAs for frustrating the budget making process.
“Today was gazetted for passing the budget, we are shocked that it has been pushed to September 3,” she said.
Kaloleni/Shauri Moyo ward MCA Prisca Misachi said failure to pass the budget will derail service delivery to the people of Kisumu.
Misachi said MCAs who are representatives of the people have failed the electorate.
“Not all MCAs are bad, some are for prosperity of the county, while others are hellbent in sabotaging Governor Anyang Nyong’o from discharging his duties,” she said.
Contractors and suppliers in the county are still waiting for payment of pending bills accrued by the devolved unit.
They delayed funding of county functions could affect public health facilities most of which are said to be running out of medical supplies.
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