Kisumu County Treasury has proposed to Construction of Governor’s residence at a cost of Ksh. 25 million while the construction of the Deputy Governor’s residence has been allocated Ksh. 30 million shillings for FY 2019/2020.
Construction of Ward and Village Administrator’s Offices will cost the taxpayers Ksh. 25 million. A recording studio will be equipped at a cost of Ksh. 9 million in 2019/2020.
Finance and Economic Planning
The Finance and Economic Planning department will spend Ksh. 487 million. This money will be spent as follows: Ksh. 10 million on Completion of Huduma Centre; Ksh. 100.5 million for Disaster and Emergency Fund; Ksh. 10 million on Sub-County Revenue Offices; Ksh. 10 million on Fleet Management System; Ksh. 35 million on County Asset Register; Ksh. 250 million on Afri-Cities Summit in 2021 and Ksh. 50 million on Lake Region.
Read More: Kisumu County Budget FY 2019/2020 stalemate
A total of Ksh. 49 million has been proposed for establishment of demonstration and learning sites for technology dissemination in the sub counties.
A total of Ksh. 26 million will be spent on development of agriculture mechanization to boost food security in Kisumu County. Muhoroni Slaughter House will be rehabilitated at a cost of Ksh. 3 million.
Trade Development and Management
Kisumu County executive has proposed to spend Ksh. 99.5 million on various development projects under the Trade Development and Management department.
Out of this, Ksh. 15 million will be allocated towards the Trade Fund Kitty; Ksh. 27 million towards the completion of Pap-Onditi Modern Retail Market. Another Ksh. 20 million will be spent on completing Kombewa Modern Retail Market among other development projects.
Cooperatives department
A total of Ksh. 36.5 million is proposed to be spent under the cooperatives department with Ksh. 10 million going into Cooperative Development Fund and 12 million to be used in building capacity of members of Beach Cooperative Societies and Beach Management among other projects.
Enterprise Management
A total of Ksh. 14.5 million will be spent under the Enterprise Management department. A total of Ksh. 6.5 million will be used to purchase Interlocking Block Machine. Another Ksh. 5 million will be spent on Kisumu County Dairy, Enterprise Development Project (IDEAs).
Health Sector development Projects
The health sector has the largest number of proposed development projects standing at 40 with a total allocation of Ksh. 240 million. The three largest projects are as listed below:
- Construction of Cancer Treatment, Palliative and Prevention Project at JOOTRH (bunker) which has been allocated Ksh. 60 million;
- Construction of Neurology and Neurosurgery Ward at JOOTRH at a cost of Ksh. 40 Million and;
- Purchase of medical dental equipment at a cost of Ksh. 20 million;
The rest of the money will be spent on construction of dispensaries and Health Centers at Riat, Miranga, Masogo, Kosawo, Kanyagwal, Ogango, Nyagilo, Wanganga, Orongo, Kanyakwar, Newa and Miruka among others.
In FY 2019/2020, Kisumu County executive has proposed to construct a maternity wing in Katito Sub-County Hospital at a cost of Ksh. 5.5 million. A mortuary will be constructed at Muhoroni Hospital in Koru Ward at a cost of Ksh. 6 million. Construction of mortuaries is one of the projects which are planned for in Kisumu County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2018-2022. In fact, Kisumu is the only city without a city morgue just like City Mortuary in Nairobi.
Read More: Highlights of Kisumu County CIDP
Theaters are planned to be constructed at Kombewa and Kisumu Referral County Hospital with an aim of decongesting Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH). The two theaters will be constructed at a cost of Ksh. 6 million and Ksh. 5 million respectively.
Roads, Transport and Public Works
The roads, Transport and Public works is set to have 68 development projects which will cost taxpayers Ksh. 181 million. Out of these resources:
- 16 million will be spend on purchasing Tippers,
- 42 million will be spent on 2 Graders;
- 23 million to acquire a Bulldozer;
The rest of the money will be spent on small projects such as opening, improvement, construction of footbridges, box culverts and graveling various roads with allocation ranging between Ksh. 5 and Ksh. 3 million.
Industrialization
One major project to be implemented under the Industrialization Directorate is the completion of cottage industries and Value addition called Kochieng Tomato Processing Plant at Kobura at a cost of Ksh. 29.8 million and another similar amount for construction of County Innovation and Incubation Center.
Provision of Affordable and Social Housing
Housing department has been allocated a total of Ksh. 102 million. These resources will be used on the following development projects:
- Acquisition of land in wards (Ksh. 20 million);
- Planning of Ahero and Maseno (Ksh. 36 million);
- Valuation Roll (Ksh. 43 million);
- Refurbishment of Residential Buildings (Ksh. 3.2 million);
From the above list, it is clear the Kisumu County government is not planning to construct any houses as part of her contribution towards the achievement of the provision of 500,000 units of housing as prioritized in The Big Four Agenda.
Tourism
In order to promote Tourism in Kisumu the following projects which will cost Ksh. 44 million have been proposed:
- County Branding – Ksh. 20 million;
- Development of Lwanda Magere – Ksh. 7 million
- Snake Park – Ksh. 3 million
- Development of Hippo Point – Ksh. 3.6 million;
- Equator Development – Ksh. 3 million;
- Mapping of tourism and hospitality facilities – Ksh. 3.5 million;
- Tourism Marketing through Iconic Signage at Nyamasaria – Ksh. 4 million;
SPORTS
In order to promote sports in Kisumu County, the following projects which will cost taxpayers Ksh. 119 million have been proposed:
- Reconstruction of Moi Stadium at a cost of Ksh. 100 million;
- Rehabilitation of Sports pitches at Ksh. 3.5 million;
- Purchase of equipment at Ksh. 4.2 million; and
- Construction of 2 Sub-County Stadium at Ksh. 12 million
CULTURE
In order to promote the culture of Kisumu County, a total of Ksh. 18.5 million will be spent as follows:
- Cultural Resource Center Complex at Kit Mikayi at Ksh. 5 million;
- Equipping Katito Community Cultural Centre – Ksh. 2 million;
- Equipping of Cultural Centers – Ksh. 2 million;
- Refurbishment of Heritage Sites – Ksh. 2 million;
- Rehabilitation of Sports Pitches in Basket Ball, Hockey and Netball at Ksh. 4 million;
It is clear that the last project does not promote Culture, I propose that it be relocated to Sports section.
EDUCATION
The County governments are responsible for ECDE and Village Polytechnics in the education sector. Kisumu County is planning to spend a total of Ksh. 47.2 million on Education development projects across the county. The development projects in the education sector are as follows:
- Feeding Programme – Ksh. 17.2 million;
- ECD Capitation – Ksh. 25 million;
- Teaching and Learning Materials – Ksh. 3 million;
- ECD Creative Activity – Ksh. 2 million;
From the above list, it is clear that in FY 2019/2020, Kisumu County has not allocated resources for completion of stalled ECDE centers such as the one in Kibos and Nyalenda. The Kenya National Treasury has directed that MDAs should focus on completing ongoing or stalled projects before embarking on new ones.
Kisumu County can consider using the Ksh. 17.6 million meant for VTC Capitation to complete stalled ECDE Centers such as those in Kibos and Nyalenda.
Recommendations
- Prioritize allocation of funds for completion of stalled projects such as Kibos and Nyalenda ECDE centers by doing away with new projects;
- Under Housing department, use the Ksh. 36 million meant for Planning of Ahero and Maseno to construct houses in Arena and other county estates;
- Move Rehabilitation of Sports Pitches in Basket Ball, Hockey and Netball at Ksh. 4 million to be under the Sports department instead of Culture;
- Some of the projects such as 100.5 million for Disaster and Emergency Fund; County Branding – Ksh. 20 million under Tourism; Refurbishment of Residential Buildings (Ksh. 3.2 million; Feeding Programme – Ksh. 17.2 million; Refurbishment of Heritage Sites – Ksh. 2 million; 12 million used in capacity building of members of Beach Cooperative Societies and Beach Management are wrongly classified as development projects, take action by striking them out and move them to Operations and Maintenance (O&M) section of the budget. Failure to do so will give a false impression that Kisumu County is with the legal requirement of spending 30% of the total budget when in actual sense it is less than that.
Read More: Kisumu County Targets to collect Ksh. 30 Million from boda bodas in FY 2018/2019
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