Least and highest spending counties

By Steve Mkawale

NAIROBI, KENYA: Four county governments recorded the highest expenditure in the first quarter of the financial year 2013-2014, according to a new report.

The report shows that Nairobi, Mombasa, Narok and Bomet spent Sh2.8 billion, Sh767 million, Sh572 million and Sh482 million respectively.

On the other hand, the report by Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo prepared in November last year indicates that the lowest expenditures were recorded in West Pokot, Lamu, Elgeyo/Marakwet and Wajir counties at Sh46.3 million, Sh58.6 million, Sh67.9 million and Sh72.5 million respectively.

This analysis of expenditures does not include Migori County, which did not provide data on expenditure. In the period under review, the counties that recorded the highest expenditure on personnel emoluments were Nairobi with Sh1.80 billion, Mombasa at Sh566.97 million and Kiambu (Sh299.96 million).

Counties with the lowest expenditure on salaries, wages and allowances were Lamu at Sh28.9 million, Elgeyo/Marakwet at Sh32.5 million and West Pokot at Sh37.7 million.

Emoluments

The report further categorises Kisii, West Pokot and Kisumu as counties that had the highest proportion of their expenditures on personnel emoluments to the total expenditure. Kisii recorded 83.7 per cent, West Pokot 81.4 per cent, and Kisumu 79.3 per cent, while the counties with the lowest proportions were Turkana (14.9 per cent), Bomet (19.5 per cent), and Makueni (30.9 per cent).

At the same time, county governments performed poorly in revenue collection in the first quarter of the financial year 2013-2014. According to the report released on Monday, the total locally collected revenue during the period under review amounted to Sh4.4 billion, which translates to 6.5 per cent of the estimated annual local revenue target by the counties.