Kajiado County Assembly has unanimously passed the County Budget Appropriation Bill, 2021/2022 following a month-long stalemate.
In a highly charged session chaired by Speaker Johnson Osoi on Tuesday evening, the MCAs passed the 2021/2022 Sh. 11 billion financial budget noting that it was delayed to ensure that the Executive addresses key issues affecting development and pending bills that have continued to be a challenge in the discharge of functions and services by the County government.
Finance Committee Chair and Kitengela MCA Paul Matuya called out on the Executive citing the County Public Service Board to address the matter on the skyrocketing of the wage bill beyond the requisite percentage permitted by the law.
“It is indeed regrettable that as a County we have surpassed the constitutional threshold of County wage bill from 35% to 39% as indicated in this report yet pending Bills have continued to accrue,” said Matuya.
Matapato South MCA Hosea Toshi expressed optimism that with the passing of the budget and the myriad of changes that were undertaken by the Executive will go a long way in improving service delivery in the County.
Mosiro MCA, Hosea Tirishe supported the bill and called upon the implementation committee to step up its role to ensure that the implementing departments undertake their roles accordingly and timely.
“It is now upon the Implementation Committee to be at the forefront in pinpointing the implementation of all projects and required services and come up with elaborate reports of all projects and activities that are being undertaken,” Tirishe said.
Leader of Majority Party and Entonet Lenkisim Ward MCA Hon. Julius Moipai lauded the MCAs for identifying a common ground in providing oversight by ensuring that the Assembly identifies and seeks answers on all issues bedeviling services rendered to the people as well as providing deep recommendations to ensure that service delivery is achieved.
The County Assembly had on several occasions failed to pass the budget before the close of the 2020/2021 financial year until the executive addressed a myriad of issues they had presented including payment of contractors and staff salaries.
By Janet Rop
