Taita residents raise concern over use of budget funds for campaigns

The entrance of Taita Taveta county assembly in Wundanyi. MCAs have been accused of allocating a huge amount of money in this year's budget to aid their campaigns ahead of next year's election. 

Photo credit: Lucy Mkanyika I Nation Media Group.

What you need to know:

  • In this year's budget, four groups in Ngolia Ward will receive a Probox each which will cost Sh4.5 million. Those that are set to benefit are Wongonyi Community Health Volunteers women group, Ghazi bodaboda youth group, Ndome bodaboda youth group and Mtito youth group.
  • In Sagalla, Sh1.5 million has been set aside to purchase motorbikes. 

There is renewed pressure on the Taita Taveta County government to ensure that its Sh7.3 billion budget benefits locals ahead of next year's General Election.

County residents feel that the County’s executive and Members of the County Assembly (MCA's) are out to use the budget for their re-election bid in August next year.

As elections draw closer and campaigns intensify, voters’ inducement has also increased as political leaders use public resources to get re-elected.

"This is the last budget ahead of the election and we are worried that the political leaders will misuse it to entice voters to get elected," said Mr Job Malombi, a Voi resident.

Out of the Sh2.9 million development budget, Sh666 million has been set aside for the Ward Development Fund, which is controlled by the MCAs. Each ward has been allocated Sh33 million in the 2021/2022 budget.

According to the allocation for various projects, Nation.Africa established that over Sh42 million has been labelled ‘empowerment projects' or 'community support programmes' in various wards with no specific groups targeted to benefit. 

For instance, in the Bura ward, Sh5 million has been set aside to empower youth, women and people living with disabilities. In Wundanyi ward, Sh6 million has been set aside for the same. It is not clear which project will be undertaken or how many groups will benefit from the funds.

In the past, politicians have been donating motorbikes to help create more employment for the youths, thus reduce idleness and crime.

As the election draws near, a section of politicians has now gone a notch higher to raise their stake for re-election.

In this year's budget, four groups in Ngolia Ward will receive a Probox each which will cost Sh4.5 million. Those that are set to benefit are Wongonyi Community Health Volunteers women group, Ghazi bodaboda youth group, Ndome bodaboda youth group and Mtito youth group.

Ms Beatrice Mjomba, a budget champion in Taita Taveta addresses journalists in Wundanyi, Taita Taveta County. Residents in the area are calling for a review of ward development kitty projects in this year's budget.

Photo credit: Lucy Mkanyika I Nation Media Group.

According to the budget, the funds will cater for the purchase of the vehicles and insurance.

However, it is not clear why Sh1.5 million was allocated for one of the groups, while the rest were allocated Sh1 million each.

In Kaloleni ward, Sh400 million has been set aside for the purchase of two mini Tuktuks.

According to the itemised budget seen by Nation. Africa, it is not clear who the beneficiaries of the Tuktuks are.

Other items that are seen to recur in the Ward Fund are salon equipment, barbershop tools, grants and football kits which mostly target young people and women, who are many of the voters.

In Sagalla, Sh1.5 million has been set aside to purchase motorbikes. 

A lobby group in the county has petitioned the Controller of Budget to stop the county government from approving the withdrawal of the Ward Fund.

The group wants the Controller of Budget not to authorise the withdrawal of the funds as it has taken a huge chunk of the development budget, yet the fund has not been legalised.

Ms Isabella Kidede, the team leader of budget champions in the county said the fund is illegal since the devolved unit was yet to pass any law to legalise it.

"Also, not all the projects in this budget are in the County Annual Development Plan (ADP) therefore they are not supposed to be implemented this year," she said.

The petition was also copied to the Senate, Governor Granton Samboja and the county assembly.

The lobby group which comprises of different Civil Society Organisations (CSO) argues that corruption, misuse of funds and public resources are on the rise due to the coming General Election.

"There's an allocation for utensils for groups yet it has not been indicated the beneficiaries. What baffles us is that the price of some of these items vary yet they are the same," she said.

She said the petition is to ensure that the residents get service delivery and value for money spent on the projects.

"We want to know who will own these vehicles. Is it the county government or the groups? How will the vehicles be sustained?" she asked. 

A member of the County Budget and Economic Forum (CBEF) Zaccheaus Maghanga said the county government did not involve them in the process.

Mr Maghanga said the group which is a forum for citizen engagement in the budget-making process was deliberately left out during the participatory consultations.

"We play an important consultative and oversight role in the county budget-making process but I can state openly that we were not involved in the process," he said.

Ms Beatrice Mjomba of Taita Taveta Human Rights Watch said that the allocation has provided an avenue of misappropriation, stealing, corruption and conduit to siphon public funds for political gain.

"The allocations are not based on basic principles that necessitate the spending of such a huge amount of money. The residents were not involved in public participation. They have hidden motives for these funds," she said.

She said the residents are seeking a review for the ward fund projects.

"We have important issues that are affecting residents rather than the purchase of vehicles that are not sustainable," she said.

They also argued that the budget-making process was unprocedural and was influenced by selfish interests by both the county assembly and the executive.

County Assembly Budget Committee chairperson Godwin Kilele said the lobby group should have directly petitioned the MCAs instead of the Controller of Budget.

"The ward fund was an agreement between the executive and the assembly. the MCAs don't control anything," he said.

He defended the purchase of utensils, motorbikes and vehicles to groups saying they were meant to empower the community.

"These are not properties of an individual but for the whole group, so issues of misappropriation are minimal," he said.

"We will deliberate on this petition and give our report to the House," he added.