Voice of Taita – In-Depth Analysis of County Budget Implementation

 In our last issue, we promised an in-depth analysis of the Taita Taveta County Assembly, but before diving into that, we must pause to acknowledge the tragic death of Sylvance Mwanjala. He was a young man, full of promise, taken too soon by a vicious act of violence over something as trivial as a bike. His death highlights the pressing need for better security in Taita Taveta.

During the funeral, many politicians attended, and while their presence was noted, the finger-pointing and laying of blame will not bring Sylvance back. We must show anger before lives are lost, not after. Madam Lydia Haika, you spoke out with passion, especially towards the head of criminal intelligence. But now we await action. As a close ally to the President, we expect to see real changes in our security apparatus. The time for words is over. We need to hear that same anger until genuine change is enacted. We are watching.

Moving to national matters, it's impossible not to mention the Adani Deal and the recent Senate hearing that featured the new CS Finance John Mbadi and his DG. There are still many questions surrounding this Public-Private Partnership (PPP), and the public deserves transparency. The CS maintains that the deal is still in the negotiation stage, with no contracts signed. Is there still time to walk away? Only time will tell.

Now, let's shift to the main agenda: an analysis of Taita Taveta County Assembly’s budget implementation for the financial years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. Here’s what we uncovered:

1. Expenditure and Absorption Rates

  • 2022/2023:
    • Recurrent budget: Ksh 975.02 million, with Ksh 856 million spent (87.5% absorption).
    • Development expenditure: Ksh 58 million budgeted, Ksh 46.22 million spent (79.7% absorption).
  • 2023/2024:
    • Recurrent budget: Ksh 780.88 million, with a 99.5% absorption rate.
    • Development expenditure: Ksh 60.01 million budgeted, but only Ksh 28.31 million spent (47.17% absorption).

2. Employee Compensation and Sitting Allowances

  • 2022/2023:
    • Ksh 253 million spent on employee compensation (99.5% utilization).
    • Ksh 18.44 million spent on committee sitting allowances for the 33 MCAs and the Speaker, averaging Ksh 46,570 per MCA.
  • 2023/2024:
    • Ksh 40.75 million spent on sitting allowances, averaging Ksh 106,125 per MCA, a significant increase that could signal overcompensation or excessive committee activities.

3. Pending Bills

  • 2023/2024:
    • Ksh 126.22 million in pending bills as of June 2024, raising concerns about the county's financial efficiency.

4. Foreign and Domestic Travel Expenditure

  • 2022/2023:
    • Ksh 119.06 million on domestic travel and Ksh 21.50 million on foreign travel.
  • 2023/2024:
    • Ksh 102.48 million on domestic travel and Ksh 21.72 million on foreign trips to countries such as Dubai, Israel, and Tanzania.

5. Development Projects

  • 2022/2023:
    • Construction of new County Assembly chambers (92% absorption) and refurbishment of old chambers (95% absorption).
  • 2023/2024:
    • Development budget absorption dropped drastically to 47.17%, signaling delays or inefficiencies.

6. Established Funds

The County Assembly has shown sound financial management of its Car Loan and Mortgage Scheme Fund, with consistent quarterly returns.

General Observations:

  • Efficient Recurrent Expenditure: The Assembly has maintained high absorption rates for recurrent budgets, particularly in employee compensation.
  • Decline in Development Performance: The drop from 79.7% to 47.17% in development absorption calls for attention.
  • High Travel Costs: Domestic and foreign travel costs have remained high across both years, raising concerns about the return on these investments.
  • Rising Sitting Allowances: The increase in sitting allowances suggests a need for better budgeting and accountability.
  • Pending Bills: The accumulation of pending bills is a warning sign that financial obligations aren’t being met on time.

Recommendations:

  • Improve Development Spending: Focus on efficient project execution to ensure funds are well-utilized.
  • Control Travel and Allowance Costs: Implement stricter policies on travel and allowances.
  • Settle Pending Bills: Prioritize paying off pending bills to avoid accumulating debt.

Finally, for next week’s issue, we would like to focus on how we can bring TOX (Taitas on X) together to formulate strategies for holding our elected members accountable. We are faceless, but we see. Let’s unite and make sure Mambo ya county ni Legit and stays on the right path.

We’ll soon be publishing under our new domain! For any issues you want published or investigated, reach out via X at Voice of Taita Taveta @doctalves or email doctalve@gmail.com. Let's be gods and rebuild Taita in our own image.

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