Civil society organisations in Taita Taveta county have backed Governor Granton Samboja’s rejection of the assembly's budget proposals.
MCAs had allocated more than Sh800 million to their wards, for which the organisations claim no public participation was carried out.
Speaking in Voi town on Monday, the chairperson of Taita Taveta Human Rights Watch Hajji Mwakio said MCAs violated the Constitution by allocating themselves money for overpriced projects.
“The budget did not involve the public in setting the proposals. Some projects are highly quoted with a toilet being priced at Sh700,000," he said.
The chairperson said some projects are also being funded twice as they are already financed by other organisations.
He cited a water project in Mbololo ward that is sponsored by the World Bank but has been priced at Sh10 million.
“Meanwhile, the MCAs’ projects do not specify exactly what was being funded,” Mwakio said.
He said a project budgeted for Sh7 million for women, youth and persons living with disability did not indicate what the money will do.
He also termed Sh 3million fencing of a dispensary without drugs a gross misuse of funds.
civil society activist Florah Ali said the process of making the budget did not follow the law. She accused MCAs of neglecting their responsibilities of oversight on the use of wards funds.
“The public and projects committee is supposed to be included in the decisions for budgeting to ensure prudent funding for each ward,” she said.
The county faces a budget crisis that threatens to stall all county operations.
Samboja rejected amendments to his Sh5.4 billion budget, saying MCAs were wrecking his development agenda.
Since then, the focus has shifted to MCAs and their proposed ward projects.
In Mwatate ward, the MCA has allocated more than Sh17 million to build ad complete public halls, while the bursary kitty was allocated Sh5 million.
In Marungu, Sh7 million was allocated to surveying and titling of LMD farm which is under the national government. Such allocations have raised questions over priorities in the wards.
Allocation of Sh10 million for each ward, the Ward Flagship Project, has been questioned.
Activist Gideon Ndambukialleged that MCAs were using the ward development projects to campaign for 2022.
Beatrice Mjomba of Sauti Ya Wanawake said most funds are being allocated to frivolous projects.
“We will support the governor and urge him not to sign the budget until all people are allowed to participate,” she said.
Edited by R.Wamochie
