Nine counties spent more than 20 percent of their total budget on development activities in the first six months of the current fiscal year, according to a new report.
According to the Budget Secretary's report covering the period from July to December 2023, 47 counties spent just 24.81 billion nits on development.
However, Narok, Kwale, Marsabit, Garissa, Laikipia, Bomet, Turkana, Uasin Gishu and Nakuru counties spent an average of more than 14.7% on development as a percentage of total expenditure.
“Development expenditure during the period amounted to Sh24.81 billion, representing an absorption rate of 12.2 per cent of the annual development budget of Sh203.11 billion. This was an improvement from the absorption rate of 6.9 per cent realized in 2019. ”During the same period in the previous financial year, total development expenditure was R11.66 billion,” reads Dr Margaret Nyakang’o’s report.
Narok came first with 41%, spending Sh2.4 billion on development programs out of a total expenditure of Sh5.85 billion during the reporting period. During a similar period in the previous fiscal year, the county disbursed her 430 million lice.
Kwale County Government spent Sh1.1 billion out of a total of Sh3.78 billion on development activities.
The expenditure by Governor Fatuma Atchani's administration showed an increase compared to the same period last year, when only 72.64 million lice was disbursed.
Marsabit County spent 937 million lice on development programs. The administration's annual budget was Sh9.42 billion and development activities were allocated Sh4.32 billion.
During a similar period in the previous financial year, the government did not spend anything on development.
In Garissa, the county government spent Sh804.73 million on development, compared to Sh111.68 million in the same period last financial year.
During the reporting period, we spent a total of Sh3.4 billion on development and iterative programs.
Laikipia spent a total of Sh2.35 billion during the reporting period, of which Sh535.34 million was spent on development programmes.
Bomet County spent between Sh191 million and Sh647.99 million on development programmes. During the reporting period, the county spent a total of Sh3 billion.
Governor Jeremiah Lomolkai’s Turkana County spent Sh1.28 billion on development out of a total expenditure of Sh6.05 billion for the same period.
Governor Jonathan Bee's Uasin Gishu government came in eighth place, spending Sh860.71 million on development programmes. A total of 4.08 billion lice was spent during this period.
Last on the list is Nakuru County, which spent N1.46 billion on development programmes, representing an increase of 183.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.
The county government spent a total of 7.05 billion lice during the reporting period.
