Nyamira Speaker Moffat Teya addressing journalists in his office on 17/07/2018. He said Executive was not realistic by rejecting the 2018/2019 budget estimates. [Stanley Ongwae, Standard].
The Nyamira county assembly has dealt Governor John Nyagarama a blow after it refused to approve a request for funds to pay salaries.
Members of the County Assembly said there was no justification for the re-appropriation of Sh147 million from the Development Vote when the Executive had failed to account for cash set aside for salaries for 17 chief officers who are yet to be hired.
Bogichora Ward rep George Abuga, who is the vice-chair of the Budget Committee, said the appropriations could not surpass the required 30 per cent limit for development monies.
“Of the Sh6.9 billion, we allocated Sh4.8 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh2.1 billion for development. There is no way we could rethink it,” Mr Abuga said.
Kiabonyoru MCA Duke Omoti told the House that the assembly should be updated on the amount of money the Executive has saved by not employing chief officers for one financial year.
The terms of the chief officers expired in June last year and their duties are being conducted by directors, who are working in an acting capacity.
Speaker Moffat Teya said the assembly would be hesitant to authenticate a supplementary budget if the Executive did not provide a computer-generated list of pending Bills.
“The list of pending bills should be availed within the shortest time possible. If they will not provide supporting documents of the debts, then we will be reluctant to pass the supplementary budget,” Mr Teya said.
The MCAs also froze Sh10 million funding to the Public Service Management Department over what they cited as mistrust in its head, Bernard Osumo, whom they are in the process of impeaching.
Finance Executive Muga Omwanza said he would not comment on the developments until he perused the county assembly documents.
