Financial crisis looms in Nyamira County

Nyamira County may be thrown into a financial crisis after the Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo put a stop to the devolved unit’s expenditure plans over irregularities in the budget.

A letter from the COB dated December 10 was sent to Governor John Nyagarama and copied to the Council of Governors, area Senator, Chairman of Commission on Revenue Allocation, the Speaker of Nyamira Assembly and the County Finance Executive.

It raised five major considerations that according to her were rendering the budget unimplementable.

Among the issues COB said were not well presented in the budget was the unrealistic local revenue collection targets which were projected at Ksh.255million since the county’s trend of revenue collections stood at Ksh.96million in the year 2017/18.

Development votes were not properly placed, the county’s wage bill that had hit 49.4percent far higher from the 35percent ceiling provided by law and provision of a detailed schedule of all pending bills and consideration of the County Fiscal Strategic Paper.

The circular came even as the Assembly passed the 2018/19 supplementary budget appropriations (which was returned to the house by the executive for correction) without amendments as required by the controller of budget in a special sitting held at the assembly.