Meru County Assembly adopts budget estimates report for 2023/2024 financial year

Meru, Friday, June 16, 2023,

KNA by Dickson Mwiti

Meru County Assembly yesterday adopted a report of the select committee on county budget and appropriations on the budget estimates of the county government for the 2023/2024 financial year.

The report tabled by the committee chairman who is also Kibirichia ward MCA Mr. Jacob Mwirigi Muthuri had a total budget estimate of Sh11, 029, 414, 444.

The recurrent expenditure is taking a huge part of the budget estimates at Sh7,653,434,192 which is equivalent to 69.39 percent and the development expenditure stands at Sh3,373,980,25 which is equivalent to 30.61 percent.

In terms of departmental allocations, public service, and administration management took the lion’s share of the budget at Sh5, 178, 988,454 followed by the county assembly at Sh995, 757, 166 and the public service board got the least allocation of Sh20, 004, 000.

The health department has been allocated Sh988,717,609, Finance, economic planning, and ICT Sh903,016,850, Roads, transport, and public works Sh831,272,432 while water, irrigation, the environment got Sh440,062,227.

Education, science, and arts have been allocated Sh354,710,693, Trade, Tourism, and cooperatives got Sh340,374,690, Agriculture, livestock, and fisheries will get Sh322,041,303 youth sports and gender got Sh236,030,000, while the office of the governor got Sh173,989,018.

The budget estimates sailed through with huge support from the MCAs.

Majority leader Evans Mawira Kaaria lauded the finance committee for their commitment to coming up with the report observing that the allocation to the health department would help people of Meru access improved healthcare services.

He also commended Governor Kawira Mwangaza for allocating Sh1m for each ward to purchase livestock as she had promised in her campaign manifesto saying the move would bring about rapid economic growth in Meru and also increase milk production in the region.

However, Nominated MCA Kiriinya Mwenda opposed the report questioning how live animals would be distributed to the wards and the repetitive element of catering and hospitality in each department.

Courtesy ; K. N. A