The County Government of Kitui, through its County assembly’s Budget and Appropriation Committee, has released its 2022/2023 financial year budget projection of Ksh.11.6 billion.
The budget projection was presented to local residents during the public participation forum at Kitui town on April 5 before the budget is tabled at the county assembly for further deliberation by members of the county assembly.
The budget projection has allocated 30 percent for development projects, equivalent to Ksh.h3.4 billion compared to Ksh.2.6billion allocation for the current 2021/2022 financial year.
Governor Charity Ngilu expects to spend 70 percent of the budget estimates on salaries and recurrent expenditures amounting to Ksh.8.2 billion compared to Ksh.4.8 billion allocated during the current financial year.
According to the projections, the County targets to raise a revenue of Ksh.750 million from the County assets and levies, with its major sources including land rates, market levies, and rent among others.
The Ksh.3.4 billion development funds will be distributed equally across all the county’s 40 wards.
However, the residents expressed their disappointment overutilization of the current financial year that is 2021/2022 budget allocation and other county financial resources bestowed on the county executives.
“I am disgusted by the Ksh.25 million worth Thua-Nduluni-Waani-Thunguni water project which got stalled after three months of operation, thus against expectations of locals,” Dominic Munywoki, a resident from Voo/Kyamatu ward in Kitui South lamented.
The residents expressed their outcry over the shortage of medical personnel and drugs across all health facilities in the county, despite the allocation of bulky sums for the health and sanitation ministry during the current financial year, citing Kitui county referral hospital, Kyuso level 4 hospital, Munyuni dispensary among others as evidence of the cases.
Faith Syombua, a resident of Kithumula/ kwa Mutonga ward also expressed her dissatisfaction with the county government’s implementation of the current budget, citing uneven distribution and maintenance of early childhood learning facilities in the ward.
The report after public participation will then be tabled to the County assembly in a fortnight for deliberations and adoption.
