The County Assembly of Kitui on Wednesday (14th June 2023) unanimously passed the Kitui County Government 2023/2024 financial year’s budget of Ksh. 11,891,575,395.
The financing will be from equitable share totaling Kshs. 10,829,486,936, Grants of Kshs. 562,088,459 and Own Source Revenue of Kshs.500,000,000. In a session chaired by Speaker Kinengo Katisya, the Budget Estimates were passed to enable the county executive to perform their duty of service delivery to the residents of Kitui County.
Major highlights of the budget across the Departments include;
The Departments of Water and Irrigation additional allocation of Kshs. 30.986 Million was allocated to the budget item for the Construction of 16 cluster irrigation projects under Irrigation and drainage infrastructure (Farm water resource development and irrigation to bring the total allocation to Kshs. 73.586 Million. The initial allocation of Ksh. 42.6 Million will be utilized as was intended by the Ministry in the sixteen (16) cluster irrigation projects. The additional allocation is recommended to be utilized for ten more cluster irrigation projects in the following wards: Athi, Ikanga/kyatune, Mwingi Central, Nuu, Mutonguni, Mbitini, Nzambani, Endau/Malalani, Kyome/Thaana and Tharaka.
In the Ministry of Education, Training and Skills Development, the budget has provided an additional allocation of Kshs. 3.6 Million to budget item, Training Expenses-Training of ECDE teachers on CBC curriculum under Primary education. The training is very key to verse the teachers with the evolving CBC curriculum.
The allocation was also increased for other infrastructure and civil works for face lifting of existing Vocational Training Centers under Training and Development by Ksh.10.4 Million to Kshs. 23.4 Million. This was important to ensure that the same efforts toward supporting and operationalizing the ECDE centers should also be applied to the VTCs in the County.
In the Department of Roads, Public Works and Transport, the budget has allocated an additional allocation of Kshs. 25 Million to budget item for the Construction of Roads (Road widening and Dozing works) of new 5 kilometers per Ward translating to 200 kilometers in the County, under construction of Roads. The total allocation of Ksh. 50 Million was to be utilized to increase the road coverage to 10 Kilometers per ward translating to 400 Kilometers in the County.
An additional allocation of Kshs. 10 Million was allocated to Lease or hire tractors and other equipment (Hire of equipment) and a further additional allocation of Kshs. 15 Million to Fuel, and maintenance of plant and machinery and culverts. The total allocation of Kshs. 100 Million for both budget items will be utilized to increase the kilometers to be graded from 70 Kilometers to 85 Kilometers per Ward. Additional allocation of Kshs. 35.5 million was also allocated to Major Roads (Roads construction works and maintenance of box culverts, drifts, graveling, concrete slabs, and gabions, under Construction of Roads and Bridges. The total allocation of Kshs. 284,749,652 will undertake road works.
In the Department of Health and Sanitation, the budget has provided an allocation of Kshs. 5.5 million for the Purchase of a Van to transport Oxygen cylinders to hospitals across the County under budget item, purchase of a vehicle under the program; Drugs and Medical Supplies Management.
There is also an allocation of Kshs. 2,088,325 for the purchase of nozzles for the KCRH under budget line purchase of medical and dental equipment, under the program; Drugs and Medical Supplies Management.
The budget provides an additional allocation of Kshs. 4M to budget item, Expansion of 3 hospitals to enable them to attain Level IV status (completion of Tseikuru x-ray department, completion of Kauwi x-ray block, completion of Mutitu theatre) under the program; Health Policy, Planning & Financing.
“That provides an allocation of Kshs. 0.5M for completion and operationalization of Kanyangi Level IV theatre. The allocation of Kshs. 66,063,736 for the Construction of Model health centers at Kanguu in Chuluni, Kyamatu in Voo and Nguni Wards as well as completion/renovation, equipping, and operationalization of Kakithya dispensary in Kanziko ward, Miambani health center, Kaai dispensary in Nuu ward and Kitoo dispensary in Mutomo/Kibwea ward, upgrading of facilities (Endau dispensary, Waita health center, kanziko health center, Tiva dispensary, Mutomo hospital, Yatta Health center,” Zacheus Syengo, the chair of the County Assembly Budget and Appropriations committee read the budget inside the Assembly chambers.
The budget also allocated Kshs. 20 Million for the construction of Nzamba Kitonga Memorial Hospital to be utilized to undertake the initially intended works of fencing, construction of a gate and sentry, installation of the elevated water tank, as well as starting the structural construction works of the facility. The allocation is too high to just undertake the proposed works.
In the Department of Trade, Industry, MSMEs, Innovation, and Cooperatives, the budget has provided an additional allocation of Kshs. 32M for the budget item, Market infrastructure development, under P2: Trade Development and Promotion. This brings the total allocation to Kshs. 112.04 Million to be utilized to put up a decent market shed at an allocation of Kshs. 2.8 Million per ward. Further, it provides an allocation of Kshs. 24 Million for the installation of three market solar lights per ward or repairs of market solar lights depending on the wards’ priorities at a cost of Kshs. 0.6 Million.
In the Department of Energy, Environment, Forestry, Natural, and Mineral Resources, the budget has provided an additional allocation of Kshs. 3 Million to Other Infrastructure and Civil Works for the Maintenance of Solar security lights at the Ward level. The total allocation of Kshs. 18 Million will also be utilized to undertake repair works.
Further, the budget also provided an additional allocation of Kshs. 8.5 Million to Other Infrastructure and Civil Works for the Installation of solar security lights at the Ward level.
In the Department of Culture, Gender, Youth, ICT, Sports, and Social Services, the budget has provided an additional allocation of Ksh. 4.6 Million to Project Allowance for County competitions and tournaments in popular sports disciplines to nurture, develop and expose sports talent (including Kenya Youth Inter-County Sports Association – KYISA and Kenya Inter-County Sports and Cultural Association – KICOSCA). The total allocation of Ksh. 10.4 Million will be utilized for Ward-level games at Kshs. 0.2 Million per ward and Sub-County level games at Kshs. 0.3 Million per Sub-County after advancing from the ward-level games.
An additional allocation of Kshs. 3 Million was allocated to Advertising, Awareness, and Publicity Campaigns for County tournaments in football, volleyball, athletics, and basketball from the Village level culminating in Governor’s Road race and Governor’s.
An additional allocation of Kshs. 4.65 Million was allocated to Specialized Materials to Procure and Supply sports equipment such as uniforms, balls, nets, and playing boots to all Active Sports clubs in the County. Ksh. 16 Million was added to Infrastructure and Civil Works for the development of 9 playgrounds.
Concerning the Persons Living with Disabilities, an additional allocation of Kshs. 3 Million was added to the purchase of PLWDs assistive devices e.g. Wheelchairs and white canes).
In the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, the budget has provided an additional allocation of Ksh. 20M to Maintenance of Plant Machinery and Equipment. The total allocation of Ksh. 26,773,431 will be utilized for repairs and maintenance of the twenty-two non-functional tractors and servicing of the eighteen to ensure each ward gets an operational tractor.
The budget also provides for an additional allocation of Ksh. 10 Million for Certified Crop Seeds that are drought tolerant to be distributed for two the rain seasons, in April and October.
In the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, the budget has provided an additional allocation of Kshs. 3 Million to Land clinics and policy for the eight Sub-Counties for Public Sensitization in liaison with the County Assembly and educate the public on the role of the Ministry of Lands in land management in the county under the Department of Lands and Housing to hasten land titling.
An additional allocation of Kshs. 3.8 Million was added for the establishment of Mutomo and Kyuso Town Administrations.
The total County Government of Kitui for the FY 2023/24 is Kshs. 11,891,575,395. being Kshs. 10,981,885,438 and Kshs. 909,689,957 for County Executive and the County Assembly budgets respectively.
