Nyamira, Kisii Counties Take Bold Steps to Enhance Budget Implementation

The Nyamira and Kisii county assemblies have devised mechanisms address the wanting absorption rates of their annual budgets.

The two assemblies have separately resolved to me more aggressive in carrying out their supervisory roles and regular implementation reports of their governors.

The leaders regretted while other counties were being rated highly, the two counties always performed dismally due to lack of competent staff and lazy assemblies.

The Nyamira assembly budget committee chairman George Abuga and Marani MCA Denis Ombachi who is also the Kisii assembly leader of minority said they, as people's representatives were complacent in the slow pace of project implementations.

“In Nyamira we have had bad audit quarries due to poor documentation. But we have now resolved that the executive must adhere to the timeliness” said Abuga.

He said changes have been made in some departments that were to blame for shoddy works in the county.

On his part, Ombachi said, "Our undoing as a county has been lack of key technical staff to help the governor implement the budget allocations but we met him a few days ago and agreed that there must be speedy project takeoff going forward".

Members of the public of all along accused the assemblies of being captive of the governors, a weakness that has slowed done development in the region.

The two leaders were speaking during a live interview with Getembe TV and FM TALK show over the weekend.

They however accused the governors of complicity in slow project implementation saying political interests were at times denying some areas development.

“It’s a fact that if a certain MCA is not in good books with the governor, projects can easily be sabotaged technically.  You will hear executive saying due to lack of machinery, kickoff of that project in area A has delayed but in areas where an MCA is loyal, you see work going on uninterrupted" said Ombachi.

Abuga who is also the Bogichora MCA said the same situation had been experienced in Nyamira but now they are a team from this financial year and implementation of all projects will be undertaken without any bias".

Ombachi and Abuga however said under the current county governments act, the Governors remained determinants on how and where funds allocated to will be spent.

They suggested that in future the clamor to establish CDF like kitties for wards will be established to address biasness by governors.

Once there's a ward development kitty where an MCA and his committee have the responsibility of managing the funds shared equitably, then our people in the rural areas will for sure realize development and fruits of devolution". Said Ombachi.

The two MCAs regretted that the county legislators were operating at the mercy of governors Nyaribo of Nyamira and his Kisii counterpart Simba Arati.

Kisii county assembly last week passed their sh14billion 2024-2025 budget while Nyamira the chairman said will do so soon to ensure full implementation of all projects.