The Nyandarua government has dismissed a report by the Controller of Budget on county absorption of development funds as erroneous and misleading.
The report released in May indicates that Nyandarua spent only 4.1 per cent of Sh1.8 billion development funds credited to its accounts in the last financial year.
Residents and critics took to social media to criticise Governor Francis Kimemia's administration after the report was highlighted by a section of the media on Wednesday evening.
“We are very sad over the misleading report indicating that we spent only 4.1 per cent of our development budget. That is pure lies. We utilised over 81 per cent, which is very impressive,” Kimemia said
He spoke at Ol Kalou Catholic grounds after meeting religious leaders from Ol Kalou, Ol Joro Orok and Ndaragwa to rally them to support the fight against Covid-19.
Kimemia asked the office of the Controller of Budget to "clarify facts" to avoid causing unnecessary anxiety.
He said his administration aimed to spend about 95 per cent of the development funds but more than Sh600 million was not released to the county by the national government.
Kimemia said all pending bills owed to contractors and suppliers have been settled save for isolated cases where work has not been completed.
The governor said he cannot be pushed to pay for work not done just to be seen to be working.
“Before people used to misuse public money to achieve 100 per cent absorption. But it is not our philosophy to misappropriate public funds to get good ratings,” he said
Kimemia said every coin of Nyandarua's development cash can be accounted for and he can pinpoint every project implemented.
He said everyone, including the CoB, is free to visit Nyandarua and see the projects for themselves.
Finance and Economic planning executive Mary Mugwanja issued an official statement on the matter.
She said out of Sh2,881,619,740 allocated for development to the county assembly and the executive, as per the second approved supplementary budget of 2019-2020, Nyandarua received Sh1,859,650,979, which was paid out to suppliers and contractors.
The payment, she said, indicates absorption of 81 per cent at the close of the financial year.
Mugwanja said Sh430 million for the fourth quarter (April-June) was not released to the county as well as Sh600,563,590 of equitable share and conditional grants.
She said large amounts have gone directly to residents, including Sh135 million for strategic stock for the Department of Health that has ensured the 74 health facilities across Nyandarua are supplied with non-pharmaceuticals, laboratory equipment and drugs. She said Sh131,914,894 went to the Medical Equipment Scheme.
The county spent Sh451,125,250 on the purchase of excavators, graders, shovels, tipper trucks and drum rollers, while Sh100 million was given as bursaries to needy students.
“All this money is classified as recurrent expenditure yet it is development as it goes directly to Wanjiku,” Mugwanja said
She said a report to be released by the CoB at the end of the month will clarify the facts.
County assembly Majority leader Edinald King’ori said the CoB report is being pushed by people eyeing the governor position in 2022.
“They should give Kimemia the space to work and face him during the elections if indeed they have the capacity,” he said
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya
