Nyeri senator says counties neglecting development

Nyeri Senator Ephraim Maina has accused counties of wasteful spending and neglecting their development role while officials gobble millions in allowances and making numerous trips locally and abroad.

The senator said he was shocked that counties spent Sh2.67 billion in the three months to September 2018 yet more than half of them had recorded no development.

The number of counties lagging behind in development nearly doubled in the current financial year compared to 2017/2018 where only 14 counties had failed to implement crucial development projects.

ALLOWANCES

But in the uptake of allowances and travelling costs, counties nearly tripled their spending on travel in the three months, painting a picture of misplaced priorities.

The lawmaker accused county officials and MCAs of being selfish by getting huge perks while residents suffer.

“There is need for us to re-look at the manner in which they operate. It beats logic that counties can spend so much money in travelling yet the ordinary people are suffering,” Mr Maina said.

He differed with governors who are pushing for increased allocations to counties, warning that it will only result to more wasteful spending.

“Education and health should be counties’ top priorities but some are focusing on murraming of roads so that they can make money. At this rate, I am afraid that devolution will never realise what it was envisaged to achieve,” he said.

HEALTH

He noted that the health sector in the country is in bad state yet governors “have taken a back seat” despite an outcry by patients over shortage of drugs, congestion and lack of equipment.

In Nyeri, county executives and MCAs spent Sh53 million on domestic and foreign travel while only Sh36 million was spent on hospital supplies.

The senator was also concerned that while the country is spending money on unnecessary expenses, many students are yet to report to schools due to lack of fees.

INFORMED DECISIONS

“When counties receive money, officials should make informed decisions on whether to go for benchmarking trips or to give students enough bursaries,” he noted.

Last week, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed told the National Assembly’s Committee on Education that more than 300,000 pupils who sat the KCPE examination last year have not taken up their Form One places.

A majority of them are needy students who waiting for well-wishers to sponsor their education.

Angered by the cash spent on travelling, some lobby groups have demanded that the MCAs give a detailed report on how the money was used.

“Can Nyeri residents get a full report as to where the assembly travels to, for what reason and what is the impact to Nyeri after all this travel,” said Mr Nelson Maina.