Kiambu to spend over sh. 300 million on MCAs canteen, speaker residence.

A file photo of a simple modern canteen.

Kiambu County Assembly is plans to spend over KES. 300 million to construct a lounge and canteens for the ward representatives (MCAs) and the speaker’s residence in the 2018/2019 financial year.

According to the County Fiscal Strategy Paper for 2018/2019 tabled on the floor by the House Finance Committee Chairman Daniel Ngure on Wednesday, the assembly plans KES. 160 million to construct a lounge and canteens for the ward representatives and staff.

Out of this amount, KES. 80 million will be spent to construct a “MEMBERS ONLY” exclusive lounge for the MCAs with an equal amount set aside for a canteen for the other assembly members of staff.

The speaker’s resident has been allocated KES. 105 million, with KES. 55 million to be spent this fiscal year and the balance of KES. 50 million to be released in subsequent budgets.

The County Assembly Service Board, which is chaired by Speaker Stephen Ndichu, has proposed the acquisition of one acre of land, construction and equipping of the official Speaker’s residence.

Besides this, the County Assembly Service Board has also prevailed upon the House committee to consider allocating KES. 90 million to give the assembly some “face-lift”. KES. 70 million has been budgeted for lighting, repairs and installation of CCTV cameras on the assembly pathways.

The balance of KES. 20 million has been set aside for renovation of the assembly offices.

This will be the second time the premises, which before the new dispensation housed the defunct Kiambu County Council, will be undergoing a face-lift. In the previous regime, the premises underwent major renovations, which included rehabilitation of the chambers, construction of a parking lot and erecting of a perimeter stone wall.

The assembly, which currently has 92 members – 60 elected and 32 nominated, is projected to get an annual allocation of an estimated KES. 1.2 billion.

The committee says that all these allocations are in line with a circular issued by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission on October 24, 2016.

In the 2018/2019 Fiscal Year that starts in July, Kiambu County has projected an annual revenue at KES. 15 billion KES. 9.26 billion of which will be from the National Treasury through the equitable share.  KES. 3.6 billion is the target revenue projected to be obtained from grants with KES. 2.6 billion coming from local revenue.  

KES. 10.086 billion has been earmarked for recurrent expenditure while KES. 5.9 billion will be spent on development.