- Aldai MP Cornelly Serem said they will do everything to block Treasury CS Ukur Yatani from reading the budget.
- Yatani had promised to release Sh2 billion every week for May and June, a promise he is yet to honour.
Image: JACK OWUOR
MPs have threatened to block Thursday's budget reading over delays in disbursement of the National Government Constituency Development Fund.
The lawmakers on Tuesday said Treasury has failed to honour its earlier promise to send the money to constituency accounts before the end of the current financial year.
Aldai MP Cornelly Serem said Treasury has not released up to Sh13.9 billion, raising fears of the balance crossing over to the next financial year.
The lawmaker said they will do everything to block Treasury CS Ukur Yatani from reading the budget if the money shall not hit the accounts by Thursday.
Speaker Justin Muturi told those responsible to take serious note of the matter or be ready for trouble on Thursday.
“Those people in Treasury called mandarins, they have heard. They are likely to face some headwinds when they come here,” Muturi said.
“It is good to prepare. When you are flying a small plane and you see heavy clouds you don’t fly towards those heavy clouds. I believe they have been given appropriate prior notice that there are likely to be heavy clouds and if they are using choppers they are likely to get lost in the clouds if they come here.”
Rising on a point of order, Serem who is a member of the CDF Committee told the House that Treasury CS Yatani had promised to release Sh2 billion every week for May and June, a promise he is yet to honour.
“I wanted to know whether the chairman of Budget and Appropriation Committee is in order to discuss the budget of the next financial year yet we haven’t done so much in the previous budget. I am a member of the CDF Committee; we have not been given Sh13.9 billion, which was promised by the Treasury,” Serem said.
“We had been promised Sh2 billion per week for the month of May and June. We have only received Sh2 billion. If this continues by the end of this month we will be having a balance of Sh11.9 billion, which is against the promise we were given when we were discussing the supplementary budget.”
The Aldai lawmaker said they will not allow CS Yatani to read the budget if the money does not reflect in the constituencies’ accounts by Thursday.
“I am not making threats but am telling the Treasury that if we don’t get the cash before Thursday then the budget will not happen on this floor,” he said.
He added: “I'm telling you chairman (Budget Committee chairman Kanini Kega) that if he is going to move a motion that touches on the budget, it will not happen on Thursday. It is not a threat but am promising you that we will work so hard to make sure it does not happen.”