KENYA : Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is on the Spot after a new report showed he did not spend a single cent on the development budget in the first Quarter of the Current Financial Year (FY)
In the three months ending September 2024, the Nairobi City County Chief Development expenditure was Ksh 0, the Controller Of Budget, (CoB) has revealed.
The first quarter County Governments’ Budget Implementation Review Report (CGBIRR) for FY 2024/25, covering July to September 2024 released by the office of the Controller of Budget indicates that the county governments’ development expenditure amounted to Sh6.71 billion.
The report, represented an absorption rate of 3 per cent of the annual development budget of Sh205.33 billion.
All 47 counties were allocated Sh576.73 billion, comprising Sh205.33 billion (36 per cent) allocated to development expenditures and Sh371.4 billion (64 per cent) to recurrent expenditures.
The Nairobi City County Executive spent Sh2.57 billion on employee compensation and Sh142.49 million on operations and maintenance in the period under review, depriving Nairobians of any development.
"The County spent Sh2.89 billion on development and recurrent programmes in the reporting period. This expenditure represented 101 per cent of the total funds released by the CoB and was entirely for recurrent programmes, representing 10 per cent of the annual recurrent expenditure budget. There was no expenditure on the development budget during the period.” reads the Report in Part.
Sakaja is among 10 governors whose counties did not spend a single cent on the development budget in the three months ending September 2024.
The other counties that have spent zero on development in their budgets include West Pokot led by Governor Simon Kachapin, Joseph Ole Lenku's Kajiado county, Simba Arati of Kisii County, there's Baringo County's Benjamin Cheboi, Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich, Lamu County led by Issa Timamy, Nyandarua under Governor Moses Kiarie Badilisha, Tana River county's Dhadho Godhana and Uasin Gishu under Governor Jonathan Chelilim.
This is the Second time that Governor Johnson Sakaja's administration is on the spotlight for spending Nothing on Development.
Counties that spent Ksh 0 during the First Quarter of the FY 2023/24 included Nairobi, Homa Bay, Embu, Kericho, Kilifi, Machakos, Turkana, Samburu, Wajir, and West Pokot.
Nairobians have expressed their disappointment at the County Chief, following his shortcomings. Majority have opined the City needs better leadership. The CoB report, comes just weeks after Sakaja's donation in a City Church was rejected by the Clergy.
Sakaja, had accompanied President William Ruto to Soweto Catholic Church in Embakasi, where they donated a huge sum of cash. The Archbishop of the Nairobi Catholic, while turning down the Donation, stated the Church does not want to be corrupted through hand-outs.
Nairobians have queried why Governor Johnson Sakaja is going dishing out cash to churches while not spending a penny on development.
Meanwhile, The Controller of Budget (CoB) Margaret Nyakang'o, in her report, has flagged Governors who are running multiple bank accounts which are used to conceal irregular expenditures.
Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi is on the spot for operating 292 bank accounts, 256 accounts said to be for health facilities. The CoB says the accounts are flouting the PFM Act.
The situation is even worse in Bungoma, where Governor Ken Lusaka is running 300 bank accounts that the report says are suspicious since they are not under the Central Bank of Kenya.
Other than operating 17 bank accounts, Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok has been flagged for using a manual payroll to pay personal emoluments amounting to Ksh.27 million, a process open to abuse.
Other counties operating the unlawful accounts in multiple commercial banks include Elgeyo Marakwet County (155 bank accounts), Kajiado (50), Embu (46), Kakamega (44), while Kwale and Migori are operating 64 and 76 bank accounts respectively.
Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu pumped Ksh.477 million to development in four months, while Kirinyaga's Anne Waiguru spent Ksh.378 million, and Busia's Paul Otuoma absorbed Ksh.328 million to development.