Oparanya dismisses Sh1.2bn budget
What you need to know:
- The members also want a car grant of Sh2M for 90 elected and nominated leaders.
- This if implemented amounts to Sh180M.
- The members also want mortgage of Sh3m for each of the 90 members, interest free.
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has declined to assent to the County Appropriation Bill due to 'extravagant demands'.
Mr Oparanya decried the hefty allowances County Assembly members allocated to entertainment.
He said, in the Appropriation Bill, the members want the county government to allocate Sh45 million per every ward in entertainment allowances which if implemented will cost the taxpayer Sh270 million. There are 60 wards in Kakamega County.
Sh2million car grant
The members also want a car grant of Sh2 million for 90 elected and nominated leaders. This if implemented amounts to Sh180million.
In the Bill, the members also want mortgage of Sh3 million for each of the 90 members, interest free.
They also set a ward grant of Sh20m for each of the 60 wards. According to Mr Oparanya, their demands are too high and untenable.
"If you add them together, the amount of money to be spent is about Sh1.2 billion. Where will we get all this money from?" said the governor.
Reconsider demands
He said there are priorities for Kakamega County residents and spending huge amounts of money to suit county Assembly members was wrong.
Mr Oparanya urged members of the Assembly to reconsider their demands and cut down on their expenditure to allow the government spend enough money on delivering services to the people who elected them.
"I mean well for members of the County Assembly of Kakamega.
"I would wish to give them what they want because they are integral in the success of our County, but am sorry, we have financial constraints that would not allow us to meet their demands at this point in time," Mr Oparanya said.
He urged the members to revise to the Appreciation Bill and adjust the budgetary allocation.
