• Budget and Appropriations Committee approved the reduction of the legislators’ domestic and foreign travels, hospitality and training budgets by Sh2.8 billion.
• The reduction is a blow to the lawmakers who have frequently been travelling - both locally and abroad - until the coronavirus came knocking.
Parliament has suffered a budget cut that reduce legislators' domestic and foreign travels significantly in the next financial year.
The Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) has approved the reduction of the legislators’ domestic and foreign travels, hospitality and training budgets by Sh2.8 billion.
This is contained in a report on the estimates of revenue and expenditure for financial year 2020-21 by the committee chaired by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa.
The budget cut has been attributed to the projected shortfall in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic taking a heavy toll on revenue performance.
The reduction is a blow to the lawmakers who have frequently been travelling - both locally and abroad - until the coronavirus came knocking.
The Ichung'wa-led BAC has approved an allocation of Sh37.7 billion to the Parliamentary Service Commission, the entity that runs Parliament.
The allocation comprises Sh2.78 billion for Senate affairs, Sh23.61 billion for the National Assembly and Sh7.66 billion for joint parliamentary service.
The allocation is part of the Sh2.73 trillion spending approved by BAC for national and county governments in the 2020-21 fiscal year beginning July 1.
Treasury CS Ukur Yatani is scheduled to unveil the budget in Parliament on Thursday next week.
According to the report, the National Assembly’s Sh1.36 billion allocation for travel, hospitality and training in the national legislation, representation and oversight programme has been cut.
The Senate, with 67 legislators, has suffered a Sh661.57 million cut from its recurrent allocation in the next fiscal year.
PSC’s Sh514.62 million for hospitality and domestic and foreign travel under the general administration, planning and support services has also been scrapped.
The commission has also forgone Sh48.11 million that was part of the legislative, training and knowledge programmes allocation.
In addition, the commission will be forced to shelve the planned acquisition of a building after the BAC scrapped Sh100 million allocation.
However, the members of Parliament and senators have received a Sh1.05 billion and Sh170 million allocation increase for their constituency and county offices respectively.
Edited by R.Wamochie