Residents irked by Vihiga plan for Ksh7.8M anthem budget
By Enock Amukhale, July 3, 2025Vihiga residents have termed the move by the county government to budget Ksh7.8 million for composing the devolved unit’s anthem as a misuse of public funds and a misplaced priority.
They have said Vihiga has many important projects which require funding rather than spending Ksh7.8 million on the anthem.
Former Vihiga County Secretary Francis Ominde, while addressing the press at Mbale on July 2, 2025, said he was shocked and left puzzled to see the assembly approving the money.
Ominde said he does not understand how the cost of composing the county anthem and its importance to residents was approved during public participation and in the assembly.
Ominde said it is shocking to see Vihiga County spending millions of shillings on a ‘song’ as the health facilities have no drugs, roads are in a poor state, and youths have no jobs.
“I am puzzled to see Vihiga county allocating millions of shillings on composing a county anthem, whereas our health facilities have no drugs, our roads are in a poor state. I do not know how the cost passed through public participation and approval by the assembly,” Ominde posed.
According the County, the anthem has been allocated Ksh7.8 million budget, Ksh1,200 will be used for public participation and consultation forums, Ksh1,500 used to pay professional composers and lyricists (contracted), Ksh500,000 for cultural research and content validation, Ksh800,000 for recording studio fees and production cost, Ksh600,000 to use for choir/ performers(training and performance), Ksh1,200,000 for video production and anthem launch, Ksh600,000 for Publicity, media and promotion.
The other Ksh600,000 is to be used on administrative costs and coordination, and Ksh800,000 is to be spent on contingency (10%).
Members of the County Assembly have vowed to cut the cost to Ksh3.8 million from Ksh7.8 million after public outcry.
“Yes, the quotation was Ksh7.8 million, but we are going to cut it to Ksh3.8 because of the public outcry,” said an MCA who declined to be named because they are not allowed to speak on behalf of the county assembly.
Ominde noted that Vihiga County has also given priority to less important projects, pointing at the construction of the governor’s, his deputy’s, the Speaker and his deputy’s official residences, which are totally secondary needs.”
“We are losing the meaning and the purpose of devolution with such type of expenditures consuming millions of shillings instead of serving electorates through necessary projects on useless projects,” said Ominde.