MCAs restore Sh256m to pay pending bills after Malombe faults them

The legislators took the action after Governor Julius Malombe criticised them for knocking out the debt servicing funds from the budget.

Malombe, in a memorandum to Speaker Kevin Katisya, said on last September 27, as the assembly passed the Kitui County Supplementary Budget Estimates 1 Bill, the monies meant to pay pending bills were removed.

The MCAs also removed Sh27 million meant to subsidise two water utility companies for payment of electricity used to pump water for the Kitui population.

The county government-owned companies are Kitui Water and Sanitation Company Limited and Kiambere-Mwingi Water and Sanitation Company.

The ward representatives also removed Sh25.8 million factored into the original budget for training and capacity building for 50 contractors in each of the 40 county wards.

The action by the assembly angered Malombe who declined to assent to the Kitui Supplementary Budget 1 appropriation bill.

The governor sent back the Supplementary Budget Appropriation Bill to the Assembly on October 13.

It was accompanied by a memorandum in which he sought restoration into the budget of the removed budgetary allocations.

On Wednesday, the MCAs, without making any amendment to a report that encompassed Malombe’s memorandum, passed the revised appropriations bill for the supplementary budget 1, 2023.

The session at which the report moved by the Kitui Assembly Budget and Appropriation Committee vice chairperson, Jacquelyne Kalenga, was passed without opposition. It was presided over by Katisya.

The only voice of dissent against the governor’s memorandum came from the Kitui Minority leader Alex Nganga and the MCA for Nguni Jeremiah Nzou.

But they nevertheless supported passage of the appropriations bill.

The memorandum was endorsed by acclamation.

Addressing a press conference, Kalenga sought to dispel accusations the Kitui assembly was sabotaging development in Kitui by delaying the appropriation Bill that factored in Malombe’s memorandum.

“I want to state categorically that, this is not true,” the Wiper party nominated MCA said.

She said Kitui MCAs had to wait until the appropriation Bill was put in the order paper for it to be debated.

“When the Bill was slotted in yesterday’s and today's order papers, the assembly has managed to adopt the bill and it now awaits assent by the governor,” she said.

She said the fast-tracking and adoption of the new appropriation Bill was an indication of the Kitui assembly’s commitment to serve the people of Kitui with dedication and diligence.