The Controller Of Budget has released a report detailing the counties that have allocated development money to other matters and so far have not spent a shilling on development projects in counties in the current financial year.
According to the report of the period reviewed, the 47 counties spent Ksh.60.3 billion on salaries and allowances and only Ksh.6.9 billion on development, representing a paltry 3.7 per cent of the total allocation.
But ten counties spent nothing on development projects in counties as they channeled the money meant for projects on other issues that the governors felt were more important than projects to the people who elected them to office.
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Counties that spent Ksh. 0 On Development Projects.
Nairobi County -: Nairobi county is the capital city of Kenya but according to the controller of budget, the county spent nothing on development despite an allocation of Ksh. 14 Billion for the same.
Nairobi County, used Ksh.176 million in four months for domestic travel, Ksh.11.9 million on foreign trips, Ksh.51.8 million on fuel alone and Ksh.28 million on hospitality.
Other counties that also recorded zero shillings in development include;
Embu, Homa Bay, Kericho, Kilifi, Machakos, Samburu, Turkana, Wajir and West Pokot
Reports indicate that a high percentage of money was re-chaneled to paying salaries and allowances and financing county operations and maintenance.
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The Controller Of Budget also noted some of the counties that used less than one percent of the total allocation to development projects.
Governors Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Mutula Kilonzo Jr (Makueni), and Ken Lusaka (Bungoma), committed less than 1 percent of their budgets to development.
This has sparked a debate on priorities in the devolved units as their major budgetary allocations has gone to salaries and personal expenses at the expense of the voter who is not seeing any developments.
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Kisii County governor and his Makueni counterpart are the largest personal spenders. Arati of Kisii spent 1.36 Billion equivalent to 79.6% of 1.7 B allocated to Kisii on personal emoluments. Kilonzo of Makueni spent 77% of 1 B allocated to Makuenon salaries alone.