Even before Kenyans come to terms with how county governments spent almost Sh1 billion to fund activities of the Council of Governors, a new report by the office of Controller of Budget reveals the devolved regions splashed a staggering Sh4.58 billion on domestic and foreign travels in just six months of the current financial year.
According to the report, Nairobi county was the most extravagant, lavishing Sh286.99 million on domestic and foreign travel by its officials, followed by Nakuru and Bungoma at Sh197.30 million and Sh188.99 million respectively.
On the more frugal end of the accounts ledger, Mandera, Narok and Kwale used the lowest amounts on travel at Sh33.14 million, Sh14.97 million and Sh12.46 million respectively. The period under review was up to December, last year. Bomet county used more money than its approved annual budget on domestic and foreign travel with County Assembly and Executive officials consuming Sh83.45 million (107 per cent) on travels alone.
It was closely followed by Trans Nzoia (94.5 per cent), Homabay County (93.7 per cent) and Bungoma county (85.2 per cent). Although the counties have a combined approved budget of Sh10.55 billion on domestic and foreign travel for the entire year, this huge expenditure on travel raises questions on whether the regional governments have got their priorities right, considering the meagre resources they have apportioned to development expenditure.
Curiously, the Controller of Budget notes, the counties spent only Sh29.58 billion on development projects during the period, which is around three times the amount spent on domestic and foreign travel. Even more was spent on personnel emoluments, which accounted for Sh56.33 billion, while Sh23.68 was spent on operations and maintenance of premises.
Nairobi county allocated Sh2.29 billion to development expenditure followed by Turkana, Kakamega and Murang’a at Sh2.10 billion, Sh1.34 billion and Sh1.28 billion respectively. Some counties allocated utterly little on development projects.
These included Embu (Sh175.72 million), Nyeri (Sh109.41 million), Vihiga (Sh85.17 million) and Kisumu (76.99 million) respectively. During the first half of the 2015/16 financial year, county governments received Sh99.19 billion as equitable share of revenue from the National government.
Sh1.36 billion was conditional allocation for Level 5 hospitals, Sh1.63 billion was conditional allocation to free maternal health care, Sh219.17 million was conditional for compensation for foregone user fee, Sh1.67 billion for Road Maintenance Fuel Levy Fund, while Sh99.92 was from Danida as a conditional grant to supplement financing for county health facilities.
The regions also raised Sh13.92 billion from local sources, which was 24.6 per cent of the annual target of Sh56.65 billion. This was an improvement of the previous financial year when they collected Sh13.08 billion (21.0 per cent) generated in a similar period in the 2014/15 financial year. In total, during the reporting period, the Controller of Budget authorised withdrawal of Sh127.10 billion from the County Revenue Fund (CRF).
Sh89.44 billion was budgeted for recurrent activities while Sh37.66 billion was to fund development activities at the counties. From the recurrent expenditure allocation, the counties spent Sh81.08 billion while Sh32.35 billion (including money for repayment of debts) was spent on development, representing an absorption rate of 19 per cent of the annual development budget. The counties also spent huge amounts on Members of County Assembly and Speakers’ sitting allowances.
From July to December, 2015, the County Assemblies spent Sh1.37 billion on MCAs’ sitting allowances, which is more than double what they used in the same period in the first half of 2014/15 financial year. Marsabit was highest at Sh1.07 million followed by Migori (Sh988.362) and Samburu (Sh979,328), while Baringo (Sh300,248), Tharaka Nithi (Sh245,459) and Vihiga (Sh109,580) spent the least.
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