The good and the bad in the Machakos county 2018/2019 budget

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The good and the bad in the Machakos county 2018/2019 budget

Machakos County Deputy Governor and the Finance CEC Tuesday presented to the Machakos County Assembly budget estimates for the 2018/2019 financial year. The budget has drawn criticism especially due to the low allocation on development which is at 30% and the ballooning Wagebill that consumes 5 Billion out of the 12 billion. Thirdly, the Youth who form the majority of the citizens have not received a proportionate allocation that is according to the critics of the budget. Some locals who we spoke to however feel the budget is good enough as it focuses on problems that are facing the locals such as health, water and roads. The total development budget was 3.8 billion and Recurrent 8.3 billion. The 30% development budget is the lowest among the 3 counties of Ukambani.

The Health docket received the Lion’s share with an allocation of 4.4 billion more than a third of the budget. Under the health department salaries and wages accounted for 2.7 billion, 23 million was also allocated for medical equipment. Notably funds were also set aside for free healthcare for children under 6 and those aged over 65, employing more health workers and construction of Machakos cancer center. Education docket received 369 million which prioritizes ECD, bursaries and rehabilitation of polytechnics.

Roads, Transport and Public works received 1.049 billion with among the highest development percentage of 77% for building and maintaining the road networks. The water and irrigation department was allocated 568million with 400 million going to constructing and maintaining boreholes and dams. The agriculture docket received 531million with focus on rehabilitating dips, increasing productivity, extension services and fruit and dairy processing. The trade docket received 310 million. Key areas included, development of market centers, 250 million for infrastructure to ‘attract investors’.

The office of the Governor received 628 million with allocations for furniture (8 million) and 45 million for advertising and 66 million for travelling raising eyebrows. Public service and ICT received 803 million. Finance docket received 508 million, with 13 million allocated for software. Tourism, Youth and sports got 85 million. The county assembly and the lands department got 1.1 and 1.2 billion respectively.

Makueni County Assembly passes motion to establish public university

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Makueni County Assembly passes motion to establish public university

Makueni County Assembly Tuesday passed a motion that urges the Commission of University education and the Education Cabinet Secretary Amb. Amina Mohammed to establish a public university in Makueni to be named Makueni University.  Makueni county is the only county in Ukambani that does not have a public university.

According to MCA’s ;students from Makueni have been disadvantaged as they have to travel out of the County to access public universities.  The motion was moved by Emali MCA Nicodemus Muthoka and received support from all the MCA’s. According to the 26th section of the university act, the Commission for university education should establish a university in all counties whilst prioritizing the counties that didn’t have universities.

A Section of residents that spoke to our reporter at Wote town thanked the County Assembly for rightfully playing their role under the leadership of Hon. Douglas Mbilu. Once established the University will create jobs for locals and also market for supplies as well as attract students fro across the country and help grow the county. Locals will also be able to comfortably access higher education services.

Machakos 2018/2019 budget jeopardised with CECs yet to be appointed

News Desk
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Machakos 2018/2019 budget jeopardised with CECs yet to be appointed

A section of Machakos County MCA’s have threatened not to pass the 2018/2019 financial year budget if the County Governor Dr. Alfred Mutua does not appoint new county executives and Chief officers urgently. The members were addressing the press Wednesday after passing the Supplementary Appropriation bill that was read by the chairperson Budget and Appropriation Committee and Kathiani Central MCA Dominic Ndambuki.

November 2017, Machakos County Assembly rejected five nominees by the Governor saying that they were not competent and that the appropriate procedure was not used while shortlisting them. They asked the governor to appoint all the 10 CEC nominees and present them to the assembly for vetting but that has not been done to date.

This comes a few weeks after the Majority leader Francis Ngunga was impeached by the MCA’s for allegedly involvement in the Assemblies procurement process especially the new chamber block where he was accused of back door working with the suppliers. He was also accused for working closely with Governor Mutua and also a recent trip to Dubai was in the list of the accusations. The Machakos court however reinstated him as the majority leader.

The back and forth pull could affect development if the budget process is delayed.

Thwake Dam Set to supply water to over 1 million households in Ukambani

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Thwake Dam Set to supply water to over 1 million households in Ukambani

The entire Ukambani counties have faced perennial water shortage for many years. This is set to come to an end after the Thwake project kicks off though in a slow pace.This is according to Water and irrigation PS Zeinab Hussein who visited the Katithi village friday together with other officials in the ministry of Irrigation.

According to the PS, so far 2 billion shillings has been paid in compensation and the remaining 440 million was disbursed to the National lands commission Friday and the beneficiaries will receive the money by mid next week.

The project is set to increase water supply to Kitui and Makueni counties.The 680 million cubic meters dam is expected to take 6 years and the main challenge was resettlement of the locals currently living there. The PS promised to engage locals frequently to ensure they resettle without any challenges.

Politics did not miss in the event as Foreign Affairs PS Ambassador Monicah Juma urged locals to support president Kenyatta in his reelection in the forthcoming October 26th presidential polls as he had brought loads of development to the community citing the Multi billion Thwake dam.

Early this year the project was hit by a 60 billion scam after which some financiers promised to pull out of the project.The second bidder had won the tender and the procurement board cancelled the tender. This as a result slowed the project.

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