The county assembly of Murang’a has passed the county government's Sh10.46 billion budget for 2024-25 financial year.
The amount was an increase compared to the estimates of the current financial year which was Sh10.39 billion.
In a report on the county estimates of revenue and expenditure for the next financial year, Sh3.15 billion was factored for development and another Sh7.29 billion for recurrent expenditure.
The estimates presented by the chairperson of the Committee for Budget and Appropriation Charles Machigo, the Department of Infrastructure got the lion’s share after it was allocated Sh1 billion to implement capital projects.
Of the amount, Sh735 million will cater for community projects including construction and renovation of dispensaries, rehabilitation of feeder roads and building and renovation of Early Childhood Development Education centres.
Another Sh200 million was allocated for Kang’ata Care programme which targets to provide universal healthcare for elderly and vulnerable people.
Currently more than 40, 000 households are included in the programme that was established early last year.
Machigo said the health programme has been applauded by the residents due to its social impact on their lives.
He added the ECDE feeding programme, commonly known as Uji programme, was allocated Sh115 million.
The county government, he said, is committed to improve the standards of ECDE by renovating the centres and ensuring the learners get meals.
Machigo said that to boost manufacturing in the county, Sh200 million has been allocated for establishment of an aggregated industrial park on the land the county government got from Delmonte Company.
The county will get increased equitable share from Sh7.58 billion to Sh7.75 billion as a result of increased county allocation in the Division of Revenue Act.
“Own source of revenue estimates is set at Sh1.25 billion following the achievement of Sh1 billion the county collected in the last 11 months of the current financial year,” Machigo said.
The newly created department of Devolution and External linkages was allocated Sh46 million in the recurrent expenditure.
“This amount includes Sh37.5 million grant on Kenya Devolution Support Programme from the World Bank."
The chairperson said a budget deficit amounting to Sh143.6 million was removed where the county assembly ceiling was adjusted to Sh841.9 million based on county allocation of Revenue Bill and Commission on Revenue Allocation parameters.
“The county treasury is expected to submit an itemised budget to the Controller of the Budget to indicate the geographical location for the development projects. A copy should also be submitted in the county assembly,” Machigo said.