The Kwale County budget had an approved budget of Ksh. 12.23 billion for FY 2018/2019. The county expected to receive Ksh. 7.54 billion from the national government as equitable share and raise Ksh. 303 million from Own Source of Revenue (OSR) among other sources.
The Office of Controller of budget reports that, for the first nine months Kwale County government received Ksh. 4.4 billion as equitable share and raised Ksh. 262 million as Own Source of Revenue.
The total funds available for spending of Kwale County budget during the first 9 months was Ksh. 7 billion.
How was the money spent?
During the period under focus, Kwale County budget was spent to a tune of Ksh. 4.36 billion on both development and recurrent activities. This was 79 percent of Ksh. 5.2 billion which was approved for withdrawal from the County Revenue Fund.
A total of Ksh. 3 billion was spent on recurrent activities while Ksh. 1.3 billion was spent on development activities.
It is sad to note that only 18 percent absorption rate was reported for development expenditure. The county can do better on this aspect. I can see that I will fill column after column on this blog with lamentations and call for action until that day when our 47 county governments will pull up their socks.
In fact during the first 9 months of FY 2017/2018 Kwale County budget implementation progress was better at an absorption rate of 20 percent of the development budget.
This is still a colossal failure by the county government in terms of absorption rate. What is the problem with our County government of Kwale? Spending available resources can also be a challenge! This is a classical example of “our problem is not money, it is how to spend it.”
Out of the Ksh. 3 billion budget for recurrent activities, Ksh. 400 million was spent on education scholarships. I guess this is another name for bursaries. Why are we baptizing the bursaries? We all know that this is a national government function. Performing national government functions is like committing some forbidden sins without knowing how to stop. The fourth schedule of the Kenyan Constitution is quite clear on this matter or is it because of the associated political milestones?
Development Expenditure
For the first 9 months of 2018/2019, Kwale County budget was spent Ksh. 1.3 billion. These resources were spent on 10 development projects such as:
- Shirazi Sports field; (Ramisi)
- renovation of Mkongani-Ndavaya Road (Ndavaya);
- Opening Trade Winds Beach Access Road (Diani);
- Purchasing teaching and learning materials
- Designed and laid fibre optic Network Cable;
- Constructed Governor’s Official Residence in Ngolini at a cost of Ksh. 27 million;
- Prepared County Spatial Plan at Ksh. 30 million
- Constructed Msambweni Maternity Complex at Ksh. 59 million;
- Build 3 dams at Ndavaya at a cost of Ksh. 68.5 million
Community Development, Youth and Women Empowerment had the worst budget absorption at 7.5 percent during the first 9 months period. On this the youth and women were shortchanged. We cannot have pleasure nor solace until our youth and women are empowered. It seems that the Ksh. 130 million issued for the exchequer for development and recurrent expenditure for the youth and women was quite a heap of money such that Kwale County would not scale its peak.
The people of Kwale County residents need to ask a rattling fire of questions on why the county is unable to utilize the available resources.
Discrimination
Kwale County officials need to work day and night to ensure they deliver services for all people in their jurisdiction.
This should especially be the case for the residents of Nguluku, Vumbu, Miembeni and other villages which are segregated in the name of “they will be relocated” to pave way for mining. Yes, they will be relocated but for now they need mobile services. They all have a right to access basic services such as healthcare, ECD education and better housing among others.
These are the only intervention which can fairly and squarely put surreptitious smiles on the locals of Msambweni Sub-County.
This should not be an elephantine task for Kwale County government.
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