Kilifi county's Sh35.9b budget deficit affects development plans

Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung'aro (left) during the official opening of Mkaomoto dispensary in Ganda ward, Malindi Sub County, on December 11, 2024. [File, Standard].

A budget shortfall has put immense strain on the provision of healthcare, agriculture, education, and sanitation services in Kilifi county.

It emerged that the county has a budget deficit of 36 per cent, which has disrupted Governor Gideon Mung’aro’s development plans.

Kenya Human Rights Commission report reveals that the county requires Sh100.7 billion to implement the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP).

However, the county is anticipating Sh64.9 billion in revenue, leaving a shortfall of Sh35.9 billion.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of the county’s budgetary allocations and expenditures in key sectors.

“The county requires Sh100.77 million to finance programmes and projects under the CIDP but expects revenue, adding up to Sh64,865 million, which indicates a Sh35.914 billion deficit translating to 36 percent. This has a direct bearing on service delivery,” says the KHRC report.

Coast Budget Hub facilitator, Eric Mgoja, said the deficit will have direct consequences for the communities relying on county services, especially healthcare.

“The budget shortfall has affected all sectors in Kilifi. Health services are among the most affected, especially in rural areas like Magarini, Ganze, and Kaloleni, where residents face critical shortage of medical staff, equipment and medicines,” he said.

Mgoja noted that Milalani and Mrima Mkulu dispensaries have stalled for over 10 years due to lack of funds.

Tobias Mwarabu from the Chonyi Youth Initiative said projects like the Pingilikani dispensary maternity wing and a laboratory at Kizingo Health Centre have stalled for years because of budget constraints.

“The maternity block at Pingilikani dispensary was started eight years ago but is incomplete. This has affected many women as they have to walk long distances to get medication,” said Mwarabu.

Currently, there are more than 15 stalled healthcare projects across the county.

Rahma Oda, from the Youth Voice and Action Initiative, said a recent survey conducted at Kiwandani dispensary revealed a huge shortage of medical supplies.

“I was part of the team that carried out the survey, we recommend immediate action. People have to buy most of the drugs from private chemists because the facility has no essential drugs, and it boils down to budget shortfalls,” said Oda.

The water and sanitation sector has also suffered. Kilifi County’s arid areas like Kaloleni, Ganze, and Magarini are particularly vulnerable to water shortages.

In Kaloleni, the county government allocated funds to rehabilitate and expand the Kibao cha Palakumi-Mwijo pipeline in 2021, but the project has not kicked off.

The project was intended to address the water shortage in the Kaloleni sub-county, which heavily relies on water pans. As a result, residents continue to rely on unsafe water sources, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.

“We were told that the county would drill a borehole in our village, but that was two years ago and nothing has happened,” said Grace Kalume from Gotani.

Fikirini Jacobs, the delivery unity director for Kilifi County, blamed the budget deficit on delayed disbursement of funds from the exchequer.

He noted that the county has over 60,000 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDEs) centres students, most of them learning in dilapidated classrooms.

“With a budget deficit, we cannot build these classrooms for these children. We cannot effectively revamp vocational training centers and even hospitals. We are working on various revenue-boosting measures, including public-private partnerships and enhancing our revenue collection systems,” said Fikirini.

The report further recommends the establishment of a partnership liaison office at the county to improve coordination, transparency, and accountability of social-economic programmes implementation by different stakeholders.

“This will help deal with duplication on the initiatives and ensure that beneficiaries have regular access to required services,” recommends the report.

The report also recommended auditing be done based on the disbursed amount as opposed to current practice, which audits budgeted amounts without considering the actual funds received, which unfairly reflects poor performance, even when counties have utilized available resources effectively.