Many incoming governors are set to start off on the wrong foot after revelations emerged that millions of shillings will be splurged in their swearing-in ceremonies on Thursday.
In what heralds the continuation of wastage of taxpayers' money in the counties, some counties intend to spend in excess of Sh20 million in the events.
Many counties have been on the spot over wanton wastage and misappropriation of public funds.
The Star has established that while some counties have requested modest cash for the event, others are seeking huge amounts to give their new bosses ‘befitting inauguration'.
In the requisitions made to the Controller of Budget, some devolved units are seeking as much as Sh22 million for an event that is expected to run for a maximum of four hours.
“They are asking for crazy amounts. They are asking for Sh17 million, Sh18 million, Sh20 million, and Sh22 million,” a source at the office of the Controller of Budget disclosed.
“For instance, Nairobi is asking for over Sh20 million. Machakos, Homa Bay and Trans Nzoia are the others asking for crazy amounts,” the source added.
Section 12 (2) of the Assumption of the Office of Governor Act 2019 stipulates that the oath or affirmation shall be administered not earlier than 10am and not later than 2pm.
“The swearing-in of the county governor-elect shall be conducted in a public ceremony before a High Court judge,” the Act states.
Reached for comment, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o confirmed that she has received several requisitions, approved some, and rejected others ‘because they are unimaginable.’
“There is a county that asked for only Sh250,000, that is, Kirinyaga. Then there are others that asked for just about Sh1 million. Those ones we have approved,” she said.
“However, there are others that I have asked to go back and rationalise their budgets because they are a bit high. How can a county ask for over Sh20 million for such an event?”
The country’s budget boss, however, declined to disclose specific details of the requisitions in terms of the amount each county has requested for the functions.
“Because I have asked them to rationalise, let them do the right thing first,” she held.
Forty-five governors-elect are scheduled to take the oath of office on Thursday following their gazettement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
The revelations are likely to put the new bosses on the spot given that they have a presence in the Assumption of the Office of County Governor Committee.
This means the governor-elect has a say in the budget for the event and can order revisions if they deem it huge.
The committee oversees the transition – swearing-in – and formulates budgets for the ceremonies.
The panel comprises the county secretary who chairs it, the county attorney and chief officers in charge of public service, ICT, finance, social services devolution and the county commissioner.
Others are representatives of the National Intelligence Service and national police service at the county level, clerk of the assembly, representative of the Judiciary, and two persons nominated by the governor-elect.
Since the inception of devolution, the counties have been faulted for wastage of public funds as residents suffer due to poor services and underdevelopment.
Reports by the Auditor General and CoB have exposed how the counties spend huge sums of money on non-essentials such as travel and hospitality.
In most counties, expenditures are not accounted for and, in some instances, funds are misappropriated.
During their campaigns, the incoming governors promised to arrest the wastages that denied the residents services.
Meanwhile, as the counties splash millions of shillings, it has emerged that the devolved units are dead broke and currently rely on their meagre own source revenue collections to pay salaries and other daily operations.
The National Treasury has not released a penny to the counties since the beginning of the financial year.
“It is only that people have been campaigning and the Council of Governors was not operational, otherwise they (governors) would have been complaining. Expect that to happen soon after the swearing-in,” Nyakang’o said.
Edited by A.N
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