Kakamega
By KCA Team
Kakamega County Assembly members have approved the Supplementary Budget for the 2019/2020 Financial Year (FY) with an increase of Ksh. 269.2 million for development expenditure.
The appropriation Act, 2019 appropriated a total of Ksh. 14.9 billion comprising Ksh.7.8 billion for the recurrent and Ksh. 7 billion for the development expenditure.
The revised estimates for the year show that the total budget has been revised upwards by Ksh. 738.4 million.
This comprises of Ksh. 937 million being an increase in total Own Source revenue, Ksh. 469.1 million being an increase in the recurrent expenditure and an increase of Ksh. 269.2 million for the development expenditure.
While deliberating on the Budget and Appropriations committee report on the Supplementary Budget for the financial year 2019/20 tabled by the committee’s chairperson, Willis Opuka, members applauded the committee for recommending more allocation of funds to crucial sectors that directly transform livelihoods.
They overwhelmingly supported the report by the select committee during a special sitting on Wednesday presided over by the deputy Speaker, Hon. Leonard Soita.
Subsequently, the county legislators approved the Kakamega County Appropriation Bill, 2020.
Some Ksh.30 million will be moved from the ministry of transport, infrastructure, public works and energy to the ministry of Water, Environment and Natural resources to protect water springs with each ward being allocated Ksh. 500,000.
The development expenditure in the ministry of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and cooperatives has been increased to Ksh. 640.9 million down from Ksh 618.7 million to purchase county farm inputs – quality fertilizers and seeds – to meet the projected demand for the FY 2019/20.
In promoting dairy farming, Ksh. 50 million is projected to establish Shibinga and Malava Smart dairy units in addition to other existing smart dairy units in Lugari, Matungu and Lurambi sub-counties.
“The development expenditure in the ministry of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and cooperatives has been increased to Ksh. 640.9 million down from Ksh 618.7 million to purchase county farm inputs – quality fertilizers and seeds – to meet the projected demand for the FY 2019/20,”
Farmers are trained on best practices to increase production.
In the education sector, the committee recommended that Ksh. 52 million that had been allocated to purchase furniture for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres be reallocated to construct more ECDE centres.
“Some schools do not have ECDE centres, forcing children to learn under trees.This is an acceptable. There is need for the county executive to purchase land to put up more centres for hundreds of young learners for schools that lack land to put up ECDE centres,” Hon. George Mukodo (Namamali Ward) said.
The committee also recommended that the ministry should sensitize the society on the importance of enrolling learners in county polytechnics noting that currently there is low enrollment across the county.
In the ministry of Health Services, County Ambulance services has received extra allocation of Shh. 7.2 million due to inflation and also as it is stipulated in the contract between the ministry and the Red Cross Society, which provides the services.
Some Ksh. 40 million have been allocated to 2,735 Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) as stipends.
The committee has recommended that the ministry should come up with an effective program that will see the CHVs paid on time.
In the ministry of Social Services Youth and Sports, the allocation for the construction of Bukhungu Stadium phase two at a cost of Ksh. 700 million has been reduced by Ksh. 100 million to fund various programmes.
The committee has recommended that the county treasury should consider reallocating some Ksh. 15 million out of the Ksh. 100 million to fund (1) the county shelter improvement programme at the tune of Ksh. 9 million, (2) development of three county policies on: Children, Youth and Gender at the cost of Ksh. 4.6 million and (3) Boda Boda programme at the cost of Ksh. 2 million.
It also recommends that the county executive should concentrate on funding of devolved functions, the county treasury should disburse funds to all ministries as soon as it receives money from the national treasury to facilitate quick implementation of projects in real time and avoid cases of low absorption among others.
Supplementary Budget is the request for additional funds by Ministries and Departments in a financial year.
Ends
