The Stagnation of Taita Taveta: A County Moving Backwards?

 As I sit here, thinking of all the promises made and the high hopes that people had for our county, I can’t help but reflect on the missed opportunities and wasted potential. For years now, Taita Taveta has stagnated, with little to no development. The sad reality is, while we continue to struggle and wait for progress, others are getting rich quickly in our county offices.

I’ve spent my lunch breaks at the Voi stadium, watching the sun beat down on an abandoned project, a space that has worsened over the years instead of improving. Miaka yote ya ugatuzi (all these years of devolution), and this is where we are—moving backward. Our leaders, time and again, have failed to deliver the promises that got them elected.

In this post, we’ll dive into the financials of Taita Taveta County, comparing the budget performance and revenue collection between the fiscal years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. We need to shed light on how a county with increasing revenues can still face declining development and higher debts. Next week, we’ll focus on the County Assembly, but today, it’s all about our County Executive.

  1. Budget Overview and Revenue Collection
    2022/2023:
    Approved budget: Ksh 7.19 billion (30.5% development, 69.5% recurrent).
    Revenue raised: Ksh 6.53 billion (90.8% of the target).
    Own-source revenue: Ksh 265.25 million (68.1% of the target).
    2023/2024:
    Approved budget: Ksh 7.50 billion (31.1% development, 68.9% recurrent).
    Revenue raised: Ksh 5.99 billion (79.9% of the target).
    Own-source revenue: Ksh 461.18 million (73.3% of the target).
    Comparison:
    The county improved in its own-source revenue collection in 2023/2024, raising 73.3% of the target compared to 68.1% in the previous year. However, the county missed its overall revenue targets in both years. With increasing revenues, we would expect better project execution, but the reality paints a different picture.
  2. Expenditure Performance
    2022/2023:
    Total expenditure: Ksh 6.13 billion (Ksh 4.87 billion recurrent, Ksh 1.26 billion development).
    Development absorption rate: 57.4%.
    Recurrent absorption rate: 97.6%.
    2023/2024:
    Total expenditure: Ksh 5.87 billion (Ksh 4.78 billion recurrent, Ksh 1.09 billion development).
    Development absorption rate: 46.9%.
    Recurrent absorption rate: 92.5%.
    Comparison:
    Development expenditure absorption dropped from 57.4% in 2022/2023 to 46.9% in 2023/2024, highlighting a significant deterioration in project execution. Despite having funds, the county is failing to allocate resources effectively for development. Both years saw the county far below the legal requirement of 30% development expenditure.
  3. Pending Bills
    2022/2023:
    Starting pending bills: Ksh 1.03 billion.
    Settled: Ksh 348.5 million.
    New bills accrued: Ksh 254.62 million.
    Ending pending bills: Ksh 1.02 billion.
    2023/2024:
    Starting pending bills: Ksh 1.02 billion.
    Settled: Ksh 285.94 million.
    New bills accrued: Ksh 611.7 million.
    Ending pending bills: Ksh 1.63 billion.
    Comparison:
    The pending bills situation worsened drastically in 2023/2024, with a significant increase from Ksh 1.02 billion to Ksh 1.63 billion. Despite some payments being made, new bills accumulated faster than the county could settle them. This trend of unpaid debts is hurting both service delivery and financial liquidity.
  4. Wage Bill
    2022/2023:
    Total wage bill: Ksh 3.27 billion (50% of total revenue).
    2023/2024:
    Total wage bill: Ksh 3.18 billion (53% of total revenue).
    Comparison:
    The wage bill rose to 53% of total revenue in 2023/2024, exceeding the legal ceiling of 35%. This shows a county government more focused on staffing and compensation than on service delivery and development projects.
  5. Development Project Execution
    2022/2023:
    High performers: Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Program (81% absorption), Water and Sanitation Development Project (76% absorption).
    2023/2024:
    High performers: National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (100% absorption), Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project (75% absorption).
    Poor performer: Locally Led Climate Action Programme (10% absorption).
    Comparison:
    While some projects saw high absorption rates, others, such as the Locally Led Climate Action Programme, performed poorly in 2023/2024 with only 10% absorption. Poor project execution continues to plague Taita Taveta, contributing to the county’s stagnation.
  6. Key Observations
    Revenue Generation: While there has been an improvement in own-source revenue collection, the county still misses overall revenue targets.
    Pending Bills: The worsening pending bills require urgent attention, as these debts will continue to drag the county down.
    Wage Bill: The wage bill is unsustainable, consuming resources that could be better allocated to development.
    Development Spending: Development absorption remains far below target, and project execution needs drastic improvement.
    Conclusion
    While there are some positive signs, like better revenue collection, critical areas such as the wage bill, pending bills, and development project execution are alarming. If the county continues down this path, Taita Taveta will remain stuck in reverse—stagnant, with no real progress for its people. Leadership must act decisively to meet budgetary and legal requirements while delivering the services that the county desperately needs.

Stay tuned for the next issue where we shift our focus to the County Assembly. In the 2022-2023 financial year, the County Assembly spent Ksh 18.44 million on committee sitting allowances for the 33 MCAs and the Speaker, with an average allowance of Ksh 46,570 per MCA. Fast forward to the first 9 months of 2023-2024, and the amount shot up to Ksh 40.75 million, averaging Ksh 106,125 per MCA. This significant increase could signal overcompensation or excessive committee activities. But activities on what?

Next week, we’ll dive deep into the spending habits of the County Assembly.

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