Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has refuted claims by the Controller of Budget's office that the county government spent Ksh 1 billion on foreign trips.
Mwangaza urges Controller Margaret Nyakang'o to rectify the report, stating her office only spent Ksh 910,000 on such trips in the first nine months of the 2023/2024 financial year.
The discrepancy arises from the Controller of Budget's Consolidated County Budget Implementation Review Report. According to Governor Mwangaza, the report mistakenly attributes the county assembly's Ksh 42.84 million expenditure on foreign travel to the county government.
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Meanwhile, a review of Meru's finances for the past nine months reveals the county generated close to Ksh 10 billion in revenue, primarily from equitable share, ordinary own-source revenue, and grants.
This financial performance surpasses the previous year, where Meru County was ranked among the best with an unspent balance of Ksh 31 million.
The current year, however, sees the county assembly spending Ksh 8.5 million on car loans and housing schemes. The Governor's office allocated Ksh 19 million for communication, Ksh 62 million for headquarters operations, and Ksh 12 million for special programs like fire and emergency services.
Health services received the highest expenditure at Ksh 113 million, followed by Water, Irrigation, Environment, and Natural Resources at Ksh 60 million.
The news comes amidst a budget stalemate between the county assembly and executive, delaying the passage of the 2024/2025 budget for nearly two months. The assembly is expected to approve the budget estimates despite disagreements over priority areas for significant allocations.