Estimates presented to MPs by the Parliamentary Service Commission reveal that the legislators will have more money for globe-trotting in the next financial year.
The budgetary jump features other fringe spending like training and hospitality, coming at a time other entities like the Judiciary face stringent cash shortages.
While Parliament has been allocated Sh43.6 billion in next year’s budget, the Judiciary is set to make do with Sh23.6 billion, a difference of Sh20 billion.
Overall, the allocation to the National Assembly and the Senate has been increased by Sh8 billion and Sh7 billion respectively.
Parliamentary Joint Services, which is the management arm of Parliament, is set for a Sh5 billion raise while PSC’s allocation is tipped to go higher by about Sh2.1 billion.
The allocations show that the Judiciary is not set for any increase, despite President William Ruto pledging an annual increment of Sh3 billion to boost the Judiciary Fund.
The Judicial Service Commission has protested the limited funding, citing a number of activities that are hampered by the cash crisis.
“The Judiciary has been receiving less than half of its budget requirements. This has grossly affected the implementation of critical programmes,” the JSC said in a brief to MPs.
The Judiciary says the construction of courts, facilitation of benches and service weeks, operationalisation of the Small Claims Court and pro bono schemes are adversely affected.
“The Judiciary is also unable to recruit an adequate number of judges, judicial officers and staff to effectively handle the workload,” the JSC said.
To highlight the funding crisis, the Judiciary said over 16 court stations that were gazetted in the last budget cycle have not been operationalised.
JSC specifically pointed out that its budget was “not sufficient to implement its expansive mandate.
“The commission was also affected by further budget cuts effected through supplementary budget, forcing it to rationalise its activities within the approved budget,” the Chief Justice Martha Koome-led JSC lamented.
Critics have previously argued that the courts should receive more funding than Parliament because they have a presence across the country.
Top offices in the Executive are also set for a budgetary boost.
The Executive Office of the President will receive Sh1.3 billion more compared to this year’s allocation, while that of the DP will go higher by Sh600 million.
President William Ruto’s office has been allocated Sh5.3 billion in the coming financial year, which is way above the Sh4 billion the office received this year.
DP Rigathi Gachagua’s office has been allocated Sh4.8 billion compared to the Sh4.2 billion that was allocated to the office in the current budget.
As is the case with leaders of the Executive, it is emerging that the offices of the Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate are among those where more monies have been set aside for travels outside the country.
While the Senate Speaker’s office was allocated Sh35 million this year, the amount has been increased to Sh203 million – a jump of Sh168 million.
Domestic travel allocation for the Senate Speaker’s office has also been increased from Sh40 million currently to Sh170 million next year.
Senators' foreign travel budget is also set to increase two-fold from Sh74 million to Sh140 million, while local travel budgets are up by Sh330 million in next year’s spending plan.
While the lawmakers were provided with Sh850 million this year, the amount has jumped to Sh1.18 billion in the coming fiscal year.
The National Assembly Speaker’s office was allocated Sh60 million in the current year’s budget, the amount has been increased to Sh76 million.
The NA Speaker is facilitated as chairman of Parliamentary Service Commission as well, whose budget is set to increase by Sh5.3 million, from Sh2.5 million in the current year.
The trend cuts across the various budget votes including for the National Assembly and Senate committees, directorates and key parliamentary offices.
Foreign travel budget allocation to the Office of the Clerk, which facilitates MPs’ travel outside the country, has increased by Sh154 million.
The office was allocated Sh101 million this financial year, which is set to increase to a high of Sh265 million.
Estimates further reveal that MPs want to buy more seats and spend more on entertaining visitors – hospitality. Maintenance budgets are also set to go up tremendously.
Senate committees have been allocated Sh704 million next year, which rates highly compared to the Sh200 million the MPs had at their disposal this year.
Foreign travel expenses for the National Assembly committees – classified in about seven sectors based on their mandate – are set for an increase of about Sh130 million each.
PSC, for its part, is also set for a raise with its committees to receive Sh100 million more compared to the Sh56 million in the current budget.
Hospitality budgets are also set to go up for nearly all the departments – some by 100 per cent.
Despite being allocated Sh43.6 billion, MPs say that they need a further Sh22 billion to fund activities deemed as crucial for the legislature’s operations.
“The amount will cater for expenses attributed to the growth of activities relating to enactment of bills, motions, statements, messages and petitions,” the PSC said.
The National Assembly says the allocations would go toward planned activities including establishment of Bunge Gardens and rehabilitation of restaurant gardens.
The assembly plans to revamp the catering facility, automate systems used in committees, the Hansard, and digitise correspondence.
Parliament says its expenditure is set to grow in the coming financial years.
“This is given the ongoing recruitment of new staff, which will occasion additional expenditures in the form of salaries, induction fees and training expenses”.
In justifying the call for more cash, MPs cited a KRA bill of Sh1.5 billion for motor vehicle reimbursements, Sh1 billion for chamber upgrades, Sh200 million to facilitate the Nadco team, and Sh1 billion for completion of Bunge Tower.
