Kakamega MCAs have formed a committee to oversight the management and administration of special funds by the county government.
The assembly Public Investments and Special Funds (PISF) committee will be charged with interrogating the usage of special funds established by the county government. This was triggered by adverse audit queries.
The committee is expected to carry out audit covering three financial years in the four special funds run by the county.
The special funds are the Kakamega Farm Inputs, Dairy Development Fund, Kakamega County Maternity and Child Health Family Planning, and Alcoholic Drinks and Control.
The committee chaired by Rodgers Nato held its first sitting on Wednesday during which it interrogated senior officers from departments of finance and economic planning, public service, and county administration on the management of special funds and how various funds were used.
The committee will audit financial statements and officials charged with the management of the four funds following adverse audit reports, according to Nato.
“As a committee, we are concerned with adverse audit reports, which are exposing the misappropriation of public resources for various county special funds. All of us have a cardinal duty to ensure that public funds are prudently utilised to ensure that our people realise the fruits of devolution and the intent of such funds,” Nato said.
“We acknowledge some shortcomings but I want to assure this committee that we are going to improve by doing away with bottlenecks that hinder effective operations of various funds and agencies.”
Kakamega County Dairy Development Corporation (KDDC) was established to spur dairy farming and deal with the development of the dairy value chain addition, while the Kakamega County Farm Inputs fund was established to promote food security in the county.
The Sh150 million Malava Dairy Processing Plant, whose construction started in 2019 is expected to be completed by December this year.
The county had already sank Sh240 million towards the smart farm project to increase milk production to 6,000 litres per day for the sustainability of the factory.
Bukura and Matungu farms are the only smart farms operating while that of the Khwisero subcounty is 90 per cent complete four years down the line.
According to Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, the county has invested Sh713 million in subsidised farm inputs.
“In the FY 2022-23, my administration invested more than Sh713 million in subsidised farm inputs. This enabled many farmers to afford quality and adequate farm inputs for the main planting season between February and April this year,” Barasa said.
The County Maternal Child Health and Family Planning Fund was created to reduce maternal and under-five mortality through the use of social cash transfers.
Through partnerships, Kakamega county has received Sh223 million to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 in every 100,000 live births.
Delivery statistics from Kakamega county show only 37 per cent of women give birth in a health facility equipped to handle maternal emergencies, as 63 per cent of women prefer giving birth at home.
The Kakamega County Alcoholic Drinks Control Fund was established to assist in the operations of the subcounty committees in regulating alcohol production, distribution, sale and consumption.
Additionally, the fund is mandated to campaign against alcohol abuse and provide interventions for minimising the harm and mitigating the impact of alcohol on individual users, families, and the community.
