• The governor rejected the Sh37.5 budget, saying it had a huge deficit and suggested all allocations to the NMS be cancelled.
• This has threatened the NMS-run projects, but director-general Mohamed Badi is optimistic funds will be available sooner than later.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
MCAs resume sittings today with the main agenda being Governor Mike Sonko’s memorandum on the Sh37.5 billion 2020-21 budget, which he has declined to approve.
On October 15, Sonko refused to append his signature on the Nairobi City County Appropriations Bill, 2020, and referred it to the county assembly with a memorandum.
He said the budget had a huge deficit and suggested all allocations to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services be cancelled.
The budget was approved by the assembly on October 8. The legislators allocated Sh27.1 billion to the NMS, leaving the Sonko executive with Sh6.4 billion and the assembly Sh2 billion.
Majority leader Abdi Hassan Guyo on Monday told the Star the MCAs will prioritise the budget business.
“The budget is very important not only for the operation of the county but also for the residents of Nairobi who want service delivered through completion of projects,” he said.
Speaker Benson Mutura will commit the governor’s memorandum to the house through the Finance, Budget and Appropriations Committee, whose chairperson is Robert Mbatia.
The committee will have 21 days to discuss the memorandum and table its report in the assembly.
Mbatia said on Monday they started working on the memorandum after it was submitted last Thursday "but the speaker must officially communicate to the assembly tomorrow”.
According to Sonko, the budget has a huge deficit. As such, the allocations to NMS must be cancelled. He maintained that the adjustments made to the earlier executive allocation were unlawful.
He also rejected the transfer of Sh1.3 billion Ward Development Fund from the governor’s office to the NMS and the Sh1.6 billion allocation also to the NMS for inspectorate services.
"In exercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 24(2) (b) of the County Governments Act, 2012, I refuse to assent to the Nairobi City County Appropriation Bill, 2020," Sonko said.
For the past four months, City Hall has been operating on a vote that grants the county assembly authority to spend spend not more than Sh12.5 billion or 25 per cent of the amount in tabled estimates.
This window was opened after the Senate failed to agree on revenue sharing formula.
Sonko's refusal to assent to the budget has threatened the projects ran by the NMS.
But NMS director-general Mohamed Badi is optimistic that funds will be available sooner than later.
“I know I have the support from the MCAs and once they finish with the budget process, NMS will have funds to finish the projects,” he told a TV interviewer last week.
Guyo said the assembly has several other bills awaiting its attention.
“We have several bills that are in different stages, including the new valuation roll draft that has been submitted to the house for approval,” he said.
The valuation roll draft has information on all rateable properties, which will be used to value property based on market value and rates.
Also on the in-tray of Mbatia's team are the Nairobi County Finance Bill, the Annual Development Plan for 2021-22 financial year and the Controller of Budget report.
“All these documents have been tabled before the assembly apart from the Controller of Budget report, but I am confident that we will be considering it in due time,” he said.
- mwaniki fm