Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has dismissed reports of misuse of funds in the county as misleading.
Barasa said the reported use of Sh521 million in hospitality is not a reflection of what the county government has spent according to the county records.
He said the Sh521 million is the total amount of various costs, including what the county assembly spent and the amounts spent on other utilities like water, electricity, and other costs like transportation and fuel.
The governor said the county executive spent Sh290 million, with the county assembly spending Sh46.7 million in hospitality, totalling Sh336.7 million, all costs included in the Sh521 million.
The county boss who was responding to the report on the county’s extravagance, said the county government spent Sh58.7 million on water and electricity bills and Sh125.3 million in general supplies.
“So the total amount for hospitality, if it was supposed to be properly reported, is actually Sh290 million for the county executive and Sh46.7 million for the county assembly, totalling Sh336.7 million,” he said.
Barasa said Kakamega County has the largest number of staff at almost 10,000, which is one of the biggest cost drivers.
He said the county’s vast administrative structure, which comprises 12 subcounties, 60 wards, and more than 400 community areas, drives the county expenses.
“The cost drivers are the number of subcounties, the number of staff and the number of community areas, in fact, in terms of classification, this is the largest rural county in Kenya. So administratively, we are covering a lot of geographical space,” he said.
Barasa said the county administration has put in place austerity measures to reduce recurrent expenditure with more emphasis on development.