At least 13 others—including Kitui, Makueni, Machakos,
Kakamega, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, West Pokot, Vihiga, Samburu, Kajiado, Laikipia, and
Lamu—remain under review, leaving them unable to draw money from the Exchequer
until they comply.
Nyakang’o criticised the delays as a breach of the Public
Finance Management Act, which mandates counties to submit budgets by June
30.
“They should submit immediately after June 30. They are
already breaking the law if the assembly does not pass the budget by that
date,” Nyakang’o said.
The Public Finance Management Act requires counties to
submit their approved budgets by the end of June to enable requisitions and
funding from the Treasury.
The holdups stem from poor coordination, disputes between
governors and assemblies, and, in some cases, political manoeuvring.
Nyakang’o accused some assemblies of deliberately stalling
or rewriting budgets to extract concessions from county executives, calling it
political blackmail.
“In some cases, assemblies engage in what can only be
described as political blackmail - deliberately delaying, rewriting, or
rejecting proposals to extract concessions from governors, assert power, or
settle scores,” the budget boss said.
Without approval, devolved units cannot pay salaries, fund
development projects, or settle contractor debts, crippling operations.
Meanwhile, the national government has fared better, with
the Interior Ministry leading in timely compliance.
Approved for Sh32.6 billion, it marks a turnaround after
past clashes with the COB over overspending.
The National Police Service received Sh125 billion, while
the broader executive branch was allocated Sh2.42 trillion.
The department previously clashed with the Controller of
Budget over exceeding its allocated spending in past years.
The green light from COB Margaret Nyakang’o signals restored
confidence in its fiscal discipline.
Nyakang’o confirmed national approvals were completed a
month into the fiscal year, contrasting sharply with the counties’ dysfunction.
Governors, however, blame Treasury delays, even as the COB
insists the root problem lies in their own failure to meet deadlines.
