The County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Finance Charles Kerich and officials from the County Treasury have appeared before the County Assembly’s Implementation Committee to brief members on the implementation status of the 2024/2025 budget.
The Treasury submitted what committee members described as a voluminous document detailing the progress of various projects and expenditures under the current financial year. However, the committee has requested additional time to allow the clerks to thoroughly review and internalise the report before engaging further.
“We have received a very comprehensive document from the CEC Finance Kerich and the Treasury team on the implementation status of the 2024/2025 budget,” Peter Imwatok who chairs the committee told journalists. “We have asked for time so that our analysts and clerks can scrutinise it properly. Thereafter, we will convene a more comprehensive meeting to interrogate the issues raised next week.”
The committee expressed optimism about the progress made so far but signalled its intention to closely examine why some projects have lagged behind schedule.
“By next week, the public will witness the committee at work, ensuring we understand why some projects are not being implemented properly in the county,” the Imwatok said. “There is no project in this county that should fail to be implemented. Every project approved and budgeted for by the County Assembly must be executed.”
The committee warned that failure to implement approved projects would attract consequences.
“There are repercussions for officers who do not implement what has been budgeted,” Huruma MCA Peter Owera said.
Imwatok addressed concerns about the ongoing cooperation framework between the county and the national government, clarifying that it does not interfere with county operations or its budgetary processes.
“This is not a transfer of functions. It is an initiative through which the national government is injecting additional resources into the county, particularly for major capital-intensive projects,” he stated.
They cited large-scale infrastructure projects such as the expansion of the sewer system, noting that such undertakings require significant funding beyond the county’s annual development budget.
“Projects like sewer expansion require about Sh8 billion, which is equivalent to the county’s entire annual development budget. The national government is bringing in more resources to support such initiatives,” Imwatok who is also the majority leader explained.
The committee maintained that the county’s budget and implementation processes remain intact and independent.
“The county budget continues as it is, and its implementation process remains unchanged. What we are happy about is that more resources are being brought to support the capital city,” he said.
On its oversight role in the cooperation framework, the committee reaffirmed its constitutional mandate.
“Under the Constitution, the functions belong to the county. As an implementation committee, we will ensure that whatever was envisioned for the people of Nairobi is delivered and properly accounted for,” he concluded.
