• Counties have been pushing for the relaxation of the capping on construction cost of residences for governors and other top employees.
• The senators said the decision was arrived at after an inquiry and thorough consultations with relevant government agencies on prudent use of public resources.
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Counties have been dealt a blow in their push for the relaxation of the capping on construction costs of residences for top county chiefs and assembly chambers.
The senators did not relent on their resolve to limit the cost of constructing homes for governors, deputy governors, assembly speakers and chambers.
The lawmakers said the decision was arrived at after an inquiry and thorough consultations with relevant government agencies to ensure prudence use of public resources.
“The resolution was arrived at after consultation with the Ministry of Infrastructure, for county governments’ infrastructure projects with a view to ensuring that there is harmony and uniformity in the provision of these projects across counties,” said Senate Finance and Budget Committee chairman Mohamed Mahamud.
Mahamud on Wednesday tabled a report on the implementation of the Senate’s resolution on the county governments’ infrastructure projects comprising county executive headquarter offices, assembly chambers and offices, and county state officers' residences.
The chairman said the House was not making a mere perfunctory statement on funds used for construction projects but was carrying out its constitutional duty as the body that oversights the use of resources by the counties.
Last year, the Senate capped the construction of a governor’s residence at Sh45 million while that for a deputy governor and assembly speaker was limited to Sh35 million.
The homes should be on two-acre plots.
The cost of constructing offices for county executive committee members was capped at Sh500 million while the cost of building county assembly chambers was to be determined by the number of MCAs.
Chambers with 30 ward representatives were to cost a maximum of Sh200 million, those with 31-50 members Sh250 million and those with more members Sh400 million.
Some counties protested the caps, arguing that they had already signed contracts with higher amounts and works were at an advanced stage and sought to be exempted from the guidelines.
West Pokot, Mandera, Kwale, Meru and Marsabit are among the counties that had work in progress.
West Pokot was building the county assembly speaker’s residence for Sh68 million. The assembly had paid Sh32 million with 52 per cent of the work completed.
In Mandera, the governor’s house was being constructed at Sh258 million, the deputy governor’s at Sh78 million and assembly speaker’s at Sh46 million. The work was at an advanced stage.
Kwale governor’s residence was ongoing at Sh149 million, with 70 per cent of the contract sum having been paid at the time the Senate issued the guidelines.
In Meru, the county boss’s home was being built at Sh127 million while that of the deputy governors was gobbling Sh63 million.
Marsabit County assembly was putting up the chamber at Sh344 million.
According to the counties, they rushed to start the projects after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission issued a circular on October 24, 2016, giving them until June 30, 2019, as the deadline for the option of paying rent for residences of the designated county government state officers.
The commission directed the counties to build official residences for governor, deputy governor, and speaker in the 2018-19 fiscal year.
Mahamud's report says that while the Senate cannot vary or otherwise affect the rights of contracts to which it is not a party to, the House resolution (capping) will act as a guide for oversight institutions including Senate to determine whether prudent use of public funds was exercised.
- mwaniki fm