The County Assembly of Murang’a has passed a budget of Sh10.46 billion for the 2024–2025 financial year.
The amount was an increase compared to the estimates for the current financial year, which was Sh10.39 billion.
In a report on the county estimates of revenue and expenditure for the next financial year, Sh3.15 billion was factored for development and another Sh7.29 billion for recurrent expenditure.
According to the estimates presented by the Chairperson of the Assembly’s Committee for Budget and Appropriation, Charles Machigo, the department of infrastructure got the lion’s share after it was allocated Sh1 billion to implement capital projects.
Of the amount, Sh735 million will be used for community projects, including the construction and renovation of dispensaries, the rehabilitation of feeder roads, and the building and renovation of ECDE centres. Sh200 million was allocated for the Kang’ata Care programme, which targets to provide universal health care for the elderly and vulnerable.
Currently, more than 40, 000 households are included in the programme that was established in early 2023.
Machigo said the health programme has been applauded by the locals due to its social impact on their lives.
He further said the ECDE feeding programme commonly known as the Uji programme, was allocated Sh115 million.
Machigo stated that the county government is committed to improving the standards of ECDE by renovating the centres and ensuring the learners get meals.
He noted that to boost manufacturing in the county, Sh200 million has been allocated for the establishment of an aggregated industrial park on the land the county government got from Delmonte Company.
The chairperson further stated that the county will get an increased equitable share from Sh7.58 billion to Sh7.75 billion as a result of increased county allocations under the Division of Revenue Act.
“Own source of revenue estimates are set at Sh1.25 billion following the achievement of Sh1 billion the county collected in the last 11 months of the current financial year,” added the Budget Committee chairperson.
He further explained that the newly created department of Devolution and External linkages was allocated Sh46 million in the recurrent expenditure.
“This amount includes a Sh37.5 million grant on the Kenya Devolution Support Programme from the World Bank,” remarked Machigo.
The chairperson noted a budget deficit amounting to Sh143.6 million was removed, and the county assembly ceiling was adjusted to Sh841.9 million based on the county allocation of Revenue Bill and CRA parameters.
“The county treasury is expected to submit an itemised budget to the Controller of the Budget to indicate the geographical location for the development projects. A copy should also be submitted to the County Assembly,” said Machigo.
By Bernard Munyao and Anita Omwenga
