Kisii County Assembly passed a Sh18.5 billion budget for 2025/26 financial year, the highest ever since the advent of devolution.

Tabling the estimates, Budget and Appropriation Committee Chairman, Peter Otachi told the House, Sh11.3b has been allocated for recurrent expenditure and Sh7.1b for development respectively.

He noted the budget includes funds from the exchequer, grants, own source revenue and balances carried forward from the previous financial year, adding the county projects to raise Sh2.6bfrom own source.

The chairman said the assembly approved Sh250m for empowerment program and Sh96m for school feeding program for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) learners.

“We have not allocated funds for bursaries. The controller of budget barred counties from allocating the funds in their Budgets as directed by the courts. She is hard on the counties. Otachi pointed out during the session chaired by Speaker Dr Philip Nyanumba.

The Monyereto Ward MCA said the county will construct an ECDE centre per ward at a cost of Sh2.5m and implement water projects across the county worth Sh1.5b as part of Governor Simba Arati’s flagship projects to benefit residents.

In each of the 45 wards

The county, the chairman said has embraced Ward based development and will buy machines to aid in constructing Ward roads instead of contracting them.

“It is cheaper to construct roads with your machines than contracting. You only identify roads and fuel is given to open Ward up roads anytime” Itachi stated, adding, the county will also embrace labour based work once a policy is formulated.

The chairman said the county has carried forward on-going and unpaid projects and assured contractors the Assembly has allocated funds to pay them.

He said the Assembly has allocated funds for employment of 300 health workers to boost health care services at health facilities.

Majority Leader, Henry Moracha urged the Executive hasten procurement for the budget to be operational for residents to gain.

He assured residents the county government will complete ongoing projects to benefit them, adding adequate funds have been allocated for the projects.

“School feeding program is one of the unique programs the Assembly has allocated funds. We want our children to be comfortable as they learn” Moracha said adding more ECDE teachers will be employed.