๐๐ข๐๐ฆ๐๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ.
According to the latest report from the Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakangโo, Kiambu County has accumulated a staggering Sh6.5 billion in unpaid bills, making it one of the top counties in debt for the 2023/24 financial year.
This places Kiambu second only to Nairobi, which leads with Sh118 billion in pending bills, amidst a nationwide total exceeding Sh181 billion.
Key Points from the Report:
Pending Bills Breakdown: At the beginning of the financial year, Kiambu reported Sh5.94 billion in pending bills, of which Sh3.57 billion was for recurrent expenditure and Sh2.36 billion for development activities.
Limited Progress: Despite settling Sh387 million in bills during the year, the county's overall debt has risen to Sh6.5 billion due to the accumulation of new obligations. This marks a total increase of Sh600 million from the previous financial year.
Outstanding Bills in the Assembly: The Kiambu County Assembly also reported Sh100 million in outstanding bills as of June 30, 2024.
Budget Implementation Challenges: Nyakangโo pointed out that the rising debt is a significant obstacle to effective budget implementation, stating, โThe high level of pending bills has hampered effective budget implementation.โ
Need for Reforms: The report emphasises the urgency for reforms to address the pending bills crisis. Countries like Kiambu are urged to prioritise paying off outstanding debts to ensure smooth service delivery and prevent disruptions to development projects.
In contrast, Elgeyo Marakwet stands out with only Sh1.4 million in pending bills, showcasing better fiscal discipline.