Sakaja, Simba Arati among 10 governors with zero development

Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakangó has flagged county governments for their low expenditure on development budgets in her latest report.

In her County Governments Budget Implementation Review Report for the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year, Nyakangó revealed that county governments spent only Sh6.71 billion on development activities, representing an absorption rate of 3 per cent against the annual development budget of Sh203.55 billion.

Shockingly, 10 counties out of the 47 did not undertake any development expenditure during the period under review.

“Analysis of development expenditure as a proportion of the approved annual development budget revealed that ten county governments did not report any expenditure on development programmes,” reads the report.

The counties include Governor Johnson Sakaja’s Nairobi, Baringo (Benjamin Cheboi), Elgeyo Marakwet (Wisely Rotich), Kajiado (Joseph Ole Lenku), Kisii (Simba Arati), Lamu (Isa Timamy), Nyandarua (Moses Badilisha), Tana River (Dhadho Godhana), Uasin Gishu (Jonathan Chelilim), and West Pokot (Simon Kachapin).

The report, covering the period from July to September this year, showed that all 47 counties had been allocated a total of Sh576.73 billion, comprising Sh205.33 billion for development expenditure and Sh371.4 billion for recurrent expenditure.

“This represented a decline from the 4% absorption rate realised during a similar period in the 2023/24 financial year when county governments’ cumulative expenditure on development activities was Sh6.92 billion,” the report stated.

Nyakangó’s findings highlight a stark reality: residents in the ten counties were deprived of development projects as county executives focused predominantly on salaries and personnel emoluments.

For instance, the Nairobi City County Executive spent Sh2.57 billion on employee compensation and Sh142.49 million on operations and maintenance.

“The county spent Sh2.89 billion on development and recurrent programmes during the reporting period. This expenditure represented 101% of the total funds released by the CoB and was entirely for recurrent programmes, amounting to 10% of the annual recurrent expenditure budget. There was no expenditure on the development budget during the period,” the report noted.

In Kajiado County, Sh1.18 billion was spent on development and recurrent programmes, representing 99 per cent of the total funds released by the CoB, all of which was directed towards recurrent programmes.

The report further stated that during the first quarter, Kajiado County Executive spent Sh844.44 million on employee compensation and Sh213.24 million on operations and maintenance, with no expenditure allocated to development activities.

Similarly, Uasin Gishu County spent Sh1.08 billion on recurrent programmes during the reporting period, representing 99.9 per cent of the total funds released. Kisii County, under the leadership of Governor Arati, spent Sh1.03 billion on recurrent programmes, representing 100 per cent of the total funds released by the CoB.

West Pokot County expended Sh572.38 million on recurrent programmes, also representing 100 per cent of the total funds released.

Baringo County spent Sh599.03 million on recurrent programmes, accounting for 91 per cent of the total funds released by the CoB.

“During the first quarter of FY 2024/25, the county executive spent Sh448.93 million on employee compensation and Sh63.69 million on operations and maintenance, with no reported expenditure on development activities,” the report stated.

Additionally, Elgeyo Marakwet County Executive spent Sh744.23 million on recurrent programmes during the period under review. This represented 101% of the total funds released by the CoB.

“Expenditure on development programmes reflected an absorption rate of 0%, while recurrent expenditures represented 19% of the annual recurrent expenditure budget,” the report noted.

Tana River County spent Sh403.29 million on development and recurrent programmes, representing 60 per cent of the total funds released by the CoB.

Lamu County, led by Governor Isa Timamy, spent Sh379.38 million on recurrent programmes, representing 95.4 per cent of the total funds released and 12.8 per cent of the annual recurrent expenditure budget.

In Nyandarua, the executive spent Sh377.21 million on recurrent programmes, representing 97 per cent of the total funds released by the CoB.

On the other hand, Kirinyaga County, led by Anne Waiguru, and Busia County, led by Paul Otuoma, were highly rated by the Controller of Budget for their high absorption rates of approved development budgets, each attaining 12 per cent. Siaya County and Garissa County followed, each achieving 10 per cent.