Assemblies push Senate for more recurrent funding
By Rawlings, April 5, 2023
Several County Assemblies were yesterday pushing for the increase of their budgets to fund recurrent expenses in the 2023/24 fiscal year.
Kakamega, Turkana, Garissa and Laikipia Assemblies lobbied senators to overrule the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), which has placed a ceiling on their spending, and adjust their expenditure ceilings upwards in order to meet their oversight obligations.
The commission has capped the expenditures for the four regional parliaments at Sh3.32 billion in the 2023-24 financial year but the MCAs are demanding Sh700m more.
Appearing before the Senate finance committee chaired by Mandera Senator Ali Roba, the chairpersons of the various County Assembly Public Service Boards (CAPSB) put up a spirited fight to justify the adjustments.
Recurrent expenditure
The chairpersons of the CAPSB told the committee that the ceilings have affected several activities with recurrent expenditure being the hardest hit.
Kakamega County Assembly is seeking an additional Sh406 million followed by Turkana (Sh196 million) from the current Sh845 million, Garissa (Sh30 million) from Sh880 million while Laikipia wants (Sh40.9 million) over and above the allocated Sh505 million.
The law mandates the CRA to set expenditure ceiling for national and county government entities. However, the same can be revised by Parliament.
Kakamega CAPSB vice chairperson Elphas Shilosio argued that the assembly’s ceilings have stagnated since the advent of devolution despite the high cost of living.
Yesterday, Shilosio told the senators that the move has led to accumulation of pending bills, lack of a modern committee meeting rooms and lack of transport.
“In 2013, a ream of photocopying paper cost Sh300, however today the same ream of photocopying paper is Sh800 but the ceiling as recommended by CRA has remained the same. We cannot succeed in oversight role with the same ceiling,” said Shilosio.
Vast County
Shilosio submitted that the Assembly seeks to procure a Hansard equipment and at least three vehicles to aid the MCAs in their movement in the vast county but all these have failed due to restricted ceiling and lack of funds.
Turkana Assembly speaker Christopher Nakuleu said the assembly needed to spend Sh196 million more.
The additional expenditure would take care of Sh93.77 million for personnel emolument including payment of staff at ward offices, payment of pension schemes and MCAs’ mileage.
“CRA has allocated the county assembly of Turkana Sh22.90 million for public participation. It is public knowledge that Turkana is the second largest county, with poor road network as well as insecurity. Our actual public participation budget is Sh98.26 million,” Nakuleu said.
Additional expenses
At the same time, Garissa county assembly clerk Mohamud Santur convinced the senate through the committee to approve the assembly’s additional expenditure of Sh30million.
According to the Clerk, Garissa County Assembly seeks to equip its officers that it rebuilt after fire razed down the premises in January 2021.
“All that we had built all that time got gutted down. But we have built the structures. That is why we are just asking for a one-off amount of Sh30 million to equip the offices with furniture, internet, computers and air conditioner,” said Santur.
Laikipia county assembly needs an additional Sh409.19 million to hire personnel to guard the recently built fifteen ward offices as well as equip the premises.
Overall, CRA increased spending limits for county assemblies by Sh4.74 billion to stand at Sh39.32 billion.
“The County Assemblies ceilings includes Sh4.89 billion, which is a one-off item to cater for motor vehicle reimbursement for MCAs, in line with Gazette Notice 8795 dated July 27, 2022,” the report states.
The expenditures include payments for salaries, wages, mileage, insurance and gratuity for speakers and MCAs and assembly staff.
It also includes provision for operation and maintenance, public participation, training and induction costs, one-off payment of motor vehicle reimbursement and implementation of audit committee work.
County Assemblies whose spending limits have been increased by huge margins are Bungoma (Sh157.68 million), Nakuru (Sh154.10 million), Nandi (Sh130.22 million), Kisii (Sh171.93 million) and Kitui (Sh180.36 million).