Nyeri MCAs yet to be paid as budget row starts to bite

Nyeri MCAs follow Senate proceedings on television at the assembly's lobby during a debate on a motion on the impeachment of Governor Nderitu Gachagua on September 7, 2016. The MCAs have not been paid their August salaries and three months’ sitting allowances. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  GRACE GITAU

What you need to know:

  • Every expenditure now has to be approved by the Controller of Budget.
  • An MCA told the Nation Wednesday they were yet to receive sitting allowances for the months of June, July and August.
  • Finance Executive Charles Githinji said the Assembly Clerk had refused to reduce their demand for Sh45 million for the month of August.
  • The clerk said he refused to take the Sh20 million awarded by the Controller of Budget.

Members of the Nyeri County Assembly (MCAs) and the House staff have not been paid their August salaries and three months’ sitting allowances due to the ongoing budget stalemate between the executive and the legislators.

The Sh6.4 billion budget has not been implemented after Governor Nderitu Gachagua refused to assent to the spending plan passed by MCAs.

He said the changes they made to the budget were illegal.

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Every expenditure now has to be approved by the Controller of Budget.

An MCA told the Nation onWednesday they were yet to receive their sitting allowances for the months of June, July and August.

Said the MCA: “We wonder what the executive expects us to live on.”

Finance Executive Charles Githinji, however, blamed the delay on Assembly Clerk Jernard Mwiggeh, saying he had refused to reduce their demand for Sh45 million for the month of August.

LIMITED EXPENDITURE

He said due to the impasse, the Controller of Budget has limited their expenditure to essential items, which exclude sitting allowances.

“The solution lies with the clerk, who has refused to review their requisition to remove the non-essential items,” said Dr Githinji.

According Mr Mwiggeh, his office requisitioned for Sh45 million but the Controller of Budget released Sh20 million which was not enough to pay members of the assembly and the staff.

Mr Mwiggeh said he refused to take the Sh20 million awarded by the Controller of Budget.

“The money was not even enough to pay staff” he said.

“Why take cash that can’t even pay salaries?”

Some MCAs felt that the delay in releasing their salaries was punishment by the executive for voting to impeach the governor and amending the budget.

“It must be that the executive is punishing us for amending the budget.

“Whatever their end game is we are suffering,” claimed an MCA who sought anonymity.

The MCAs and the executive have since agreed to change the budget and will meet the Controller of Budget Thursday to finalise the plan.

The governor won the first round after MCAs were told to drop the demand for an itemised budget.

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