Governor Barasa addresses misleading reports on Kakamega county expenditure

By Robert Mutasi 

Kakamega County Governor Fernandes Barasa denied cases of superfluous spending on hospitality by the county.

On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, Barasa explained the figures as carried in recent media reports, which indicated that they were misleading and did not represent the actual breakdown of expenditures of the county.

The reports indicated that Kakamega had spent Ksh 521 million solely on hospitality.

Barasa explained, however, that the figure was a compilation of different cost centers, not necessarily hospitality.

"For the record, the Ksh 521 million breaks down into several cost centers," said Governor Barasa.

 "The hospitality for the executive stands at Ksh 290 million, while the hospitality for the county assembly stands at Ksh 45.7 million. Added onto that total, utilities such as water and electricity stand at Ksh 58.7 million, with general supplies at Ksh 125.3 million." Added Barasa. 

He said the real cost of hospitality was actually way below what was reported.

"The actual figure for hospitality costs, as expressed by Your Excellency the Governor, stands at Ksh 290 million for the county executive and Ksh 45.7 million for the county assembly, totaling to Ksh 336.7 million and not Ksh 521 million," he said.

He complained of the way the figures had been reported, calling on the media in the future to give clear and concise breakdowns of such reports.

 "Going forward, it is important to have a conversation with county leadership for clarity before reporting such issues," Barasa noted. 

He went ahead to explain that expenses from other counties were more suitably reported; therefore, this discrepancy in Kakamega might have been avoided.

The explanation by the Governor comes amidst growing interest by the public on the spending of the county.

Barasa's elaboration of the allocation of the funds sought to ensure transparency and make sure that citizens understand how the resources of the county are being used.

The governor finally warned and called for responsible reporting, especially in financial matters, since they are very easy to mislead the public if the report happens to be wrong in any way. 

This is expected to put an end to the Kakamega County budget rumors and give a truer perspective on where the county is spending its money.