Your 2016-17 Kiambu Budget Revealed

According to the County Governments Budget Implementation Review Report for July to December 2015 contained in a report by the Controller of Budget reveals that Kiambu County spent the bulk of their allocations on salaries, local and foreign trips as opposed to development projects.

The county spent Sh2.7billion in recurrent expenditure and only Sh975 million on development projects. Sh131 million was spent on domestic and foreign travel in the first six months of this financial year

The report which was tabled in the National Assembly on Wednesday shows that Kiambu collected Sh1.05 billion in revenue.

In their County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP) 2016, Kiambu blamed the low absorption rates to the delay in the release of funds by the national government and challenges with revenue collections. The delay, the paper says, led to disruption of the activities of county that compromised service delivery and jeopardised development spending considering that the non-discretionary county expenditures like personnel emoluments which are recurrent in nature take precedence in government planning and spending.

As at January 2016 the County had already spent sh4.7 billion equivalent to 40% of the total budget for FY 2015/16.

Going by the allocations in the Budget Policy Statement (BPS), the county projects to get an equitable share of sh8.9 billion from the National Government for the FY 2016/17 constituting of equitable share and conditional grants in addition to its own projected sh3 billion revenue collection, totaling to sh11.9 billion.

Out of this projected income, a whooping sh.8 billion (67%) has been budgeted for recurrent expenditures with the wage bill consuming wage sh4.74 billion.

The overall development expenditure for FY 2016/17 will be sh3.9 billion, accounting for merely 33% of the overall county budget.

However, Kiambu has ensured that they have restricted their budget to their projected income to fully finance it without a deficit.

The county intends to have an efficient and effective revenue administration system which will ensure that it meets its revenue target. They also plan to strengthen the enforcement and completion of administrative reforms that include the automation of systems and expansion of the revenue base to net in property rates and consolidation of revenues for ease of administration and collection.

PRIORITY AREAS:

In Trade, Industry, Tourism and Cooperatives Development, the county has set aside sh398 million for the construction of Boda Boda Sheds, model kiosks in urban areas, enhancing support of Advisory services offered to entrepreneurs or MSMEs, developing tourist/heritage and cultural centres, marketing of tourist/heritage/cultural centres, constructing shelters for Jua Kali, capacity building and human resource development to ensure proper implementation of projects.

Sh642 million has been allocated to Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock department to create an enabling environment through development of appropriate legal and regulatory framework, construct more fish ponds and promotion of fish farming, enhance facilitation for bulk milk coolers and pasteurizers in all sub counties, diversification and expansion of the strategic animal feed reserves to include hay and commercial feeds, increase area of land under irrigation, enhance animal genetics, embryo transfer and vaccine production, management and control of strategic pests and diseases, and to increase aqua-culture productivity through technology development and innovations, selective breeding, extension services and capacity building.

In Youth, Sports and Communications, sh518 million is set to be spent. The priority areas will include expanding reach of Biashara Fund beneficiaries to over 5,000, mapping and execution of youth empowerment strategies, developing, upgrading and managing of sports facilities, identifying and nurturing talent, promotion of leagues and tournaments, operationalisation of a Sports Academy to nurture top level skills development of sports men and women from ward level countywide as well as capacity building of sports administrators, instructors and coaches, designing, implementing and evaluating of athlete development plan, deepening strategies on information, communication, publicity and media relations, public relations, events management, digital and social media management, customer care and branding.

REVENUE REFORMS:

So as to expand its revenue base, Kiambu County plans among other things, to ensure that all loopholes that lead to revenue leakages are sealed and that all fees, charges and levies due to the County are paid. Additionally, new properties are being brought into the system through vibrant enforcement mechanisms.

It will leverage its assets to make them income generating by converting public houses that sit on high value land into high value assets. This will be through their upgrading to quality housing that can generate income to the county at the market rate.

Revenue enhancement will also be achieved through upgrading public markets by including constructions of higher quality shops that can generate rents to the county.