The Kitui county assembly on Wednesday became the very first county assembly to pass the 2023-24 budget two weeks ahead of the statutory June 30 deadline.
The approved Sh11.89 billion budget is an increase of more than Sh232,379,871 from the 2022-23 budget, which stood at Sh11.65 billion.
The assembly speaker, Kevin Katisya, appreciated the commendable work of fast-tracking the approval of the budget, praising the MCAs as the best representatives, legislators and overseers.
“I can assure you that Kitui county assembly is the first county assembly to pass their budget,” he said.
“We should also be the first county assembly to pass the appropriation bill, which we should work on immediately.”
The speaker was addressing the MCAs at the Kitui assembly chambers soon after they passed Governor Julius Malombe administration’s first budget since he was elected into office on last August 9.
As they debated the 2023-24 budget estimates, most MCAs termed the budget as the most balanced, fair and equitable to be tabled in the Kitui assembly since the advent of devolution in 2013.
The approved estimated budget would be financed through Sh10.8 billion from National Treasury equitable share, Sh562 million from grants and Sh500 million expected to come from own source revenue.
The budget allotted the Health department the lion’s share of Sh3.6 billion, while the Office of the Governor followed with Sh1.9 billion.
Then the Education sector was allocated Sh1 billion, while the County Assembly Service Board is allocated Sh909.6 million for the year 2023-24.
After a lengthy debate on the budget estimates report that was moved by the chairman of the Budget Committee, Zacchaeus Syengo, the MCAs unanimously endorsed the budget.
Majority leader Harrison Maluki said the budget ensured equity in the distribution of development projects and was people-centred.
Not a single MCA voiced dissent on the 2023-24 budget estimates as they all praised the good work by Syengo’s team in rationalising the budget to ensure development projects were distributed magnanimously across all wards.
The majority leader told the MCAs even as they hailed the budget, they must bear in mind that they had the onerous task of ensuring that the good budget was implemented to the letter by the county executive.
“I want to thank honourable members who made their contribution to this important motion,” Maluki said.
“I sincerely thank the Budget Committee. There has been a trend on diminishing development expenditure, but we can see a lot of money was voted back for development.”
He said the budget would be out of the control of MCAs once they passed it, reminding them that it was upon them to effectively exercise their oversight role.
The majority leader said all MCAs must be hawk-eyed to ensure the budget is implemented to the full benefit of their electorates.
Syengo said the Budget Committee was humbled by the support the budget estimates motion received from MCAs.
“We believe it is a step that will lead us in the right trajectory,” he said after the debate on the budget estimates was concluded.
“Mine is to thank the house and hope that today’s gains will help us build a better Kitui going forward.”