Murang’a Members of County Assembly (MCAs) have passed a motion to compel the County Government to increase budget allocations to various county assembly committees.
In a motion tabled by Kihumbui-ini MCA Moses Gachui and seconded by Ruchu MCA Naomi Nyambura, the ward reps described the current budget allocation for assembly committees as inadequate, thus hindering the MCAs’ ability to perform their duties effectively.
“We recommend that the Budget and Appropriation Committee, in conjunction with the County Assembly Service Board, consider allocating additional funds to all committees,” said Gachui as he tabled the motion before the House.
Standing to support the motion, Kiru MCA Morris Thuku expressed concerns over budget discrepancies and the delayed release of funds.
Thuku noted that the county assembly has been operating on a budget of Sh. 841 million, exceeding the Sh723 million cap set by the Senate.
“The last audit report from the Auditor General shows that we have been exceeding the regulated budget.” He added that some fund allocations are being used on matters that don’t support service delivery on the house committees.
Thuku also explained that complications stemmed when the National Assembly failed to pass the 2024 Finance Bill, which left the county government uncertain about which budget framework to adhere to.
“We are stuck in a dilemma, and we don’t know exactly which budget we should be using,” Thuku added, noting that only 50 per cent of the funds have been released due to the unresolved bill, further delaying the financial support needed for assembly activities.
He further mentioned that the county assembly has yet to receive Sh72 million meant for the previous financial year, which includes funds intended for MCAs’ allowances.
“This assembly never received Sh72 million that was due from last financial year, which ended June 30, with a portion meant for members’ allowances,” the MCA stated.
On his part, Muguru MCA Moses Muchiri attributed the lack of many committee reports to budget shortfalls.
He proposed that the Liaison Committee develop a programme to allocate funds more effectively by using hotel allocations to cover committee benchmarks, potentially saving the county a substantial amount.
“When allocating funds, the liaison committee should consider ways to save funds, thus championing more activities by the assembly committees like supporting investigations and surveys that will see the presentation of authentic reports meant to improve the welfare of Murang’a people,” he explained.
By Bernard Munyao and Anjilwa Francis