Lower Eastern tackles similar challenges with Sh37b budget

Health, water, agriculture and roads have cumulatively absorbed nearly 80 per cent of the budget estimates. [iStockphoto]

The Lower Eastern counties of Machakos, Makueni and Kitui have a total budget of Sh37.2 billion, according to the 2023-24 fiscal year estimates tabled by the respective finance executives.

Machakos leads with a budget estimate of Sh14.75 billion followed by Kitui's Sh11.89 billion and Sh10.5 billion for Makueni.

Comparatively, the three counties, which have been working towards operationalisation of the South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB), appear to have common ambitions and challenges, going by the proportions of budgets allocated to various sectors.

Health, water, agriculture and roads have cumulatively absorbed nearly 80 per cent of the budget estimates.

Governors Wavinya Ndeti of Machakos, Julius Malombe (Kitui) and Mutula Kilonzo Jnr (Makueni) appear to be striving to confront common challenges even as they vow to transform the region's socio-economic fortunes through renewed approach on citizens' empowerment.

In Machakos for instance, Wavinya will deploy about Sh5 billion to deal with the delivery of healthcare services, out of which Sh1.36 billion will go to procurement of drugs, rollout of various healthcare programmes, leasing of medical equipment as well as phased out construction of hospital facilities.

Part of this allocation will also be used to set up new Level Four hospitals in Mlolongo and Athi River.

Agricultural expansion

Wavinya has also earmarked Sh904 million for agricultural development and expansion, where Sh195 will go to fertiliser subsidy, Sh105 million spent on emergency locust response and Sh250 million channeled towards National Agricultural Value Chain Development Programme.

Some Sh703 million will also be spent in water-related projects including construction of new dams and disilting of existing ones, sinking and rehabilitation of new boreholes as well as environmental conservation and response to impacts of climate change.

Machakos County will also spend Sh879.2 million on roads infrastructure development and expansion.

The county hopes to raise Sh3.9 billion through own source revenue (OSR), despite assurance by Finance Executive Onesmus Kuyu that no new taxes will be introduced on residents.

The county's finance department announced a raft of fiscal measures to seal cash loss including automation of revenue collection, consolidation of mobile pay bill numbers and fresh revenue mapping.

In neighbouring Makueni County, residents have high expectations in Governor Mutula's first budget revolving around his 10-point agenda with water, agriculture, health and infrastructure taking the biggest share.

The governor says that the order in which his government will spend the monies has been dictated by pressing needs of the people.

According to the estimates, department of health received the lion's share of Sh3.5 billion, followed by agriculture Sh1.2 billion, infrastructure Sh658 million and water Sh592 million.

The water sub-sector has been receiving attention over the past one year with the governor ensuring that his agenda for providing clean and accessible water comes to a reality through building dams, drilling boreholes and partnerships with various non-governmental organizations in water supply.

"We will continue working for the people to ensure water is brought closer to them, which is a basic human right," said Mutula last Thursday at Makueni sub-county where he commissioned various water projects.

"When we do a water project we will make sure it is supplied to the surrounding community, schools and health facilities."

In Kitui, the Sh11.89 billion budget is an increase of Sh232 million from the previous financial year, which stood at Sh11.65 billion.

The approved estimates will be financed through equitable share from the National Treasury at Sh10.83 billion while Sh562 million is expected to come from conditional grants, with an additional Sh500 million expected to come from own source revenue.

Lion's share

In the budget estimates, the health department took the lion's share with an allocation of Sh3.6 billion while the office of the governor followed with Sh1.9 billion.

Part of the allocation in the health department will go towards expansion of three hospitals to enable the facilities attain Level Four status.

Some Sh66 million will be utilised in construction of model health centres as well as completion and equipping of 10 dispensaries and health centres across the county.

Additionally, Sh20 million from the health budget has been earmarked for the construction of Nzamba Kitonga Memorial Hospital in Kitui East in honour of the late chairman of the defunct Committee of Experts that birthed the Constitution 2010.

The department of basic education, training and skills development also took a huge chunk of the budget at Sh1.03 billion with other big allocations going to agriculture and livestock at Sh824 million, roads and public works Sh663 million while water and irrigation department will spend Sh590 million on construction of sand dams and other water projects in an effort to make the county water secure.

The county government will also be seeking to increase its OSR to fund part of the year's budget.

Already, the county reaped big from the just concluded three-day Agriculture Show and Trade Fair.

Governor Julius Malombe has described the budget as people centred, saying his administration will only initiate projects that have direct positive impact on residents, and promised accountability and transparency in the use of public resources.

The county assembly hailed the budget as the most balanced, fair and equitable having complied with the provisions of Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) 2012 and other legal provisions.

[Reporting by Erastus Mulwa, Stephen Nzioka and Philip Muasya]