- The Senate has now set aside a date with Governor Simba Arati to explain the matter.
- The Senator who was speaking in Kisii said the County has up to Sh3.7 billion in the County Revenue Fund that is yet to be utilized by the Arati administration.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka Friday has termed as unsettling the alleged low rate of development funds absorption by the Kisii County Government.
The Senate has now set aside a date with Governor Simba Arati to explain the matter.
"Most likely he would soon come to the Senate to explain where the challenges are, what the issues are, and why he is not spending the money in the County Revenue Fund account," Onyonka said.
"What is in there is public money that should be used to benefit the Kisii people ?"
The Senator who was speaking in Kisii said the County has up to Sh3.7 billion in the County Revenue Fund that is yet to be utilized by the Arati administration.
"This is public money for the Kisii people. I am going to follow it up to ensure the governor coordinates his teams to ensure a roll-in of projects, and there can be a rolling-in of payment for the projects so that the economy of Kisii can grow," stated Onyonka.
He, however, said he was now ready to make a follow-up with the Governor himself to explain the low development fund absorption ahead of his appearance before the Senate.
"It is unsettling for sure. Any time you realise that your recurrent expenditure is 10 and development expenditure 6 per cent, there is a problem," Onyonka told journalists in Kisii during the launch of oversight groups.
The oversight team consists of members from across the 47 Wards who will report to the Senator's office.
The Senator said all along, he had assumed questioning Arati over the issue because 'he was new' in his job as governor.
"Now that he has been in office for quite a while, I think it is important we begin engaging him," he said.
"It is time people began working so that Kisii can be made great again."
On the impeachment of Deputy Governor Robert Monda, Onyonka said there was still life ahead if Monda went to court.
"I abstained from voting because there were so many underlying tensions and violence which must be resolved," he told journalists.
Onyonka was speaking days after County Governor Simba Arati said he cares little about low rankings placing him bottom on the development score.
He said better days are yet to come as he moves to roll out major development programs across the county.
"It doesn't bother me much for now but soon we are going to emerge the best overall," Arati told journalists last week.
The County boss said already some work has begun and would soon reflect in the larger portfolio of what his administration was doing to improve livelihoods in the region.
Some Kisii Ward Reps however rebuked him over the response.
"It definitely worries and should bother any right-thinking resident that we are fairing this bad on the development index," said Nyatieko Ward Rep Amos Mokaya.
The County had only spent Sh151 million of the Sh3.7 billion in development by December 2023 during 2022/23 translating to 2.9 percent, according to the report recently released by the Controller of Budget.
Sameta Mokwerero Ward Rep Sonye Ondari, on his part, however, said Kisii was not badly off as the controller of Budget says.
"It is skewed and lacks facts. Otherwise, there is much going on that has not been reported," he stated.
Lilian Gor, another nominee, described as unfortunate the response by the governor regarding the low score.
" If it doesn't bother him, it does to some of us and that is what brought us here to the assembly," Gor told journalists.
Masimba MCA Bouse Mairura said:
"The roads were to be done by February but if you go round many are yet to be done,", said Mairura.