Nyeri county government Slashes ward development budget allocations

NYERI, Kenya, June 24 – Nyeri county government has slashed budgetary allocation for ward development from Sh30 million to Sh16 million in the 20/21financial year.

According to budgetary estimates tabled in the assembly by budget and appropriations committee chairman Gibson Wahinya the wards have however been allocated 260 million for completion of specifics projects that were not completed in the 2019/2020 financial year.

Speaking to Capital Business, Wahinya, who formally presented the budget in the assembly on Tuesday evening said that the budget for the wards have been reduced by half owing to budgetary cuts accassioned  by effects of covid-19 .

“This year county budget has been slashed owing to covid-19 effects we understand but we are happy that projects that are ongoing will be completed,” he said.

Wahinya added that this year the county government will not be able to attain it’s projected revenue owing to closure of bussiness as a result of covid-19 restrictions.

In the 2019/2020 financial year wards were allocated thirty million in a move that was interprerated to appease county representives by governor Mutahi Kahiga administration.

However the move almost backfired after wards representives accused county goverment of failing to implement projects.

This year the county has presented a budget of 5,080,293,621 shillings where sixty seven percent will go towards amounting to three billion will go to recurrent expenditure while the rest will go towards personnel emoluments.

The rest of the budget will go towards operations and maintenance.

The bursary fund has been allocated Sh100 million while youth polytechnics have been allocated Sh48.9 million.

The assembly will commence debate on the budget on Wednesday and Thursday before giving it a nod.