Nyamira MCAs stir controversy over Sh287m for roads
Nyamira County Governor John Nyagarama. FILE PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The House’s Finance and Appropriation Committee chairman James Sabwengi further raised concerns that the executive had recently allocated Sh150 million to Mechanical and Transport Fund (MTF) in an un-procedural manner.
- The governor this week instituted a MTF taskforce consisting of eight people under the chairmanship of Planning and Budget Acting director Robin Achoki to assist Executive Committee member for Roads in ensuring fast-tracking roads projects in the County.
Controversy is brewing in Nyamira County after MCAs on Wednesday raised expenditure queries on funds allocated for roads in the 2015/16 Financial Year.
The MCAs protested that no single road in their wards had been upgraded in the entire financial year yet money was allocated.
The sector received Sh287 million of the Sh4.5 billion the County was allocated by the National Government.
Through the Assembly Minority Leader Jackson Mogusu, the Ward Reps said the administration should explain how the funds were spent.
The House’s Finance and Appropriation Committee chairman James Sabwengi further raised concerns that the executive had recently allocated Sh150 million to Mechanical and Transport Fund (MTF) in an un-procedural manner.
“It is wrong for the executive to decide to allocate Sh150 million to MTF to do the roads in the current financial year without consulting us since the projects will be carried out in our wards,” Mr Sabwengi said.
The governor this week instituted a MTF taskforce consisting of eight people under the chairmanship of Planning and Budget Acting director Robin Achoki to assist Executive Committee member for Roads in ensuring fast-tracking roads projects in the County.
Mr Sabwengi said the assembly had been approving huge budgets for the sector in each financial year yet no tangible progress was being made in repairing the roads.
He said, for purposes of accountability, the county should consult the assembly when doing allocations.
“I believe a lot of these funds end up in waste if the assembly members do not get involved in their utilization,” he said.
He called on Governor John Nyagarama to consult the Ward Reps before MTF task force starts its work.
The formation of the task force comes shortly after Mr Nyagarama said he will engage professionals in various underperforming departments to improve service delivery in his final first year in office before seeking re-election in 2017 general elections.
Deputy speaker Andrew Magangi directed the House committee for Roads, Transport and Public works chaired by Benson Sironga to table a comprehensive report over involvement of MTF in the construction of area roads.
