Articles

Public Participation Exposes Flaws in Kakamega County Budget

By Seliphar Machoni
Samuel Ogunda, a resident of Kakamega County, was eager to attend the public participation
forum on the proposed 2024–2025 county budget.
Armed with a copy of the budget document, he reviewed the allocations prepared to voice his
concerns. As he mingled with fellow residents and civil society activists, it became clear that
many shared his worries about the glaring errors and duplications within the budget.
During the forum, Samuel highlighted several alarming issues. "In the short time we interacted
with this document, we have noted glaring repetitions, recurring codes used for dissimilar vote
heads, and some budgetary allocations to complete projects which, on the ground, are already
finished," he observed.
His comments echoed a broader sentiment among the attendees, who feared such errors could
lead to substantial public money losses.
Patrick Aura, another concerned resident from Mayoni ward, questioned why the budget
proposed Sh40 million to upgrade the Ogalo-Indangalasia road to bitumen standard when the
road was already tarmacked.
He also criticized the allocation of Sh 165 million for ambulance hire compared to Sh 243
million for drugs, arguing that the priority should be resolving the persistent drug shortages in
health facilities. "Do they intend to transfer patients to facilities that are drug deficient?" he
asked.
Aura further noted duplications in the health budget, such as Sh 128 million earmarked for a
community health strategy that included community health volunteers (CHVs), alongside Sh
25.5 million for Universal Health Coverage also involving CHVs and Sh 5 million for
smartphones for CHVs. He found it perplexing that UHC, a national government program, was
included in the county budget.
George Ambunya, another resident, criticized the Sh 165 million allocation for ambulance hire
and maintenance.
"It is not prudent to allocate such an amount when the money can purchase ambulances in
phases, addressing the issue permanently," he said.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) activist Paul Odongo accused the budget drafters of using
vague language to hinder budget tracking. He cited terms like "other capital projects" used under
a single code to describe unnamed projects as a deliberate attempt to obscure financial
transparency.
The county budget estimates proposed spending Sh 27.3 million to equip unnamed health
facilities and Sh 80 million on the Imarisha Jamii program, a social stipend for new mothers
from poor and vulnerable households. However, residents reported that no new mother had
received funds from this program in the past two years.
Residents and CSOs demanded that the county assembly budget committee return the proposed
budget to the treasury for a thorough review before resubmitting it for public scrutiny. They
expressed scepticism about the county assembly's ability to independently conduct a thorough
review, suspecting some proposed expenditures to be fraudulent.
Kakamega County plans to spend Sh 16.4 billion in the next financial year, a decrease from
Sh17.3 billion in the current year. Sh 11.7 billion is to be allocated to recurrent expenditure and
Sh4.7 billion to development. Notably, the stalled Sh 6 billion Kakamega Level Six Hospital
received only Sh 40 million for operations.
Residents urged Governor Fernandes Barasa’s administration to prioritize completing stalled
projects before starting new ones. They questioned why mega projects like the Kakamega Level
Six Referral Hospital, Malava Milk Plant, and Bukhungu Stadium received annual allocations
without visible progress. The stalled Sh 100 million Lugari maize factory was allocated just Sh 5
million.
James Agesa, a resident, voiced the frustration of many: "Most of the mega projects that ought to
benefit residents have received little allocations, yet these projects get allocations yearly but
never take off."
Gildon Shioso, Chairperson of the Kakamega County Assembly Budget and Appropriation
Committee, assured residents that their views would be considered before the budget approval.
"We will ensure that stalled projects like Bukhungu Stadium, Malava Dairy Plant, and Lugari
maize factory are financed and completed, even if gradually. I assure our residents that we will
factor in their views before approving the budget," Shioso promised.
As Samuel Ogunda left the forum, he felt hope and scepticism. The residents had made their
voices heard, but the true test would be whether the county government would heed their
concerns and make the necessary adjustments to the budget.

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