Why Nairobi MCAs are holding Kidero’s budget at ransom
Nairobi County Assembly members have suspended the budget making process until the executive can guarantee adequate flow of cash to the assembly.
The County Assembly has halted deliberations by all committees on the County Fiscal Strategy Paper for the financial year 2016/2017. The committees had a March 15, 2016 deadline.
County Speaker Alex Ole Magelo has, in a letter, told Governor Evans Kidero that the budget will not be passed until he gives assurances on the funding of the assembly.
LACK OF FUNDS
Mr Magelo said that the assembly in the last financial year been allocated Sh 1.7 billion, but City Hall never disbursed the money on time. This made the assembly shutdown its activities on various occasions due to lack of funds
“As we await for a response from the Governor or county treasury, I direct all business from county treasury not to be transacted until all cash flow due to the assembly is paid,” said Mr Magelo.
He also wants an undertaking by the County Executive in charge of Finance and Economic planning to stop treating the county assembly’s cash flow in such an erratic manner.
Mr Magelo told the MCAs how City Hall had reneged an agreement that would have seen the assembly being given sh 150 million per month for recurrent budget.
GRATUITY
The assembly also wanted the county treasury to disburse funds amounting to Sh 250 million for gratuity and completion of the assembly chambers, which the executive reduced to Sh 112 million, but the money was never released to the assembly’s accounts.
“We have written to the Governor purposely to seek his intervention with a view to securing funding for gratuity for members which the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) had provided that it be paid in advance to members before leaving assembly for General elections,”said the Speaker.
“I wish to confirm that since we have not received a firm commitment from the County Executive Member for Finance on his intention to resolve the current impasse,t he said suspension remain in force,”said Mr Magelo.