Assembly has not rejected the 2019/2020 Budget estimates, Deputy Governor says.

Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr. Mathews Owili.He has denied that the County Assembly of Kisumu has rejected the 2019/2020 budget estimates-Photo courtesy.

By Dickson Odhiambo

July 2, 2019.

 Assembly has not rejected the 2019/2020 Budget estimates, Deputy Governor says.

Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr. Mathew Owilli has denied that the County Assembly of Kisumu has rejected the financial year 2019/2020 Budget estimates.

Owilli says the County Assembly has not rejected the County Budget proposal as being speculated in a section of the media including social media.

Addressing the press at his office in Kisumu, the Deputy Governor said the County Assembly had only deferred discussion of the budget committee report, in order to receive clarifications on certain aspects in the budget.

"The executive is yet to receive any official communication from the Assembly but commits to look at raised issues and respond expeditiously to enable speedy conclusion of the budget process" the Deputy Governor said.

He further assured Kisumu residents of the county finance department and the budget team availability in giving clarity to the contents of the budget document. 

Owili however warned that Governor Prof.Anyang' Nyong'o administration is committed to follow  budget making processes in strict compliance to  relevant laws and shall not succumb to demands emanated for personal interest.

He said there are only some few queries that the Members of the County Assembly in Kisumu want the executive wing to answer before passing the Budget estimates.

“We are only waiting for the official letter from the Members of the County Assembly in regard to the queries they want us to answer following the Budget estimates we presented before the Assembly,”Dr. Owili said.

At the same time, Dr. Owilli has said the Speaker of Kisumu County Assembly has no authority to lecture the Executive wing of the County Government of Kisumu on how it spends the money allocated to it from the Treasury.

He said the county Government of Kisumu is very much aware that a new County Assembly should be constructed at a cost of shs 500 million and not shs 600 million as demanded by the current Speaker of the County Assembly of Kisumu.

“We are following the guidelines put so far within the law that allows us to spend specific amount on some particular projects but not to spend public funds to help in satisfying the needs of some individuals,” Dr. Owilli added.

Article 224 of the Constitution of Kenya says that on the basis of the Division of Revenue Bill passed by Parliament under Article 218, each county Government shall prepare and adopt its own annual budget and appropriation Bill in the form and according to the procedure, prescribed in an Act of Parliament.

The appropriation Bill is the legal arm of the Budget Estimates that anchors it into the Public Finance Management Act of 2012 and without it, approval by the office of the controller of Budget is not eminent.

The County Government of Kisumu is said so far has not prepared and submitted the Appropriation Bill to the County Assembly of Kisumu for its discussion and passage.

ENDS: