Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza speaking to journalists after signing Sh. 11.8 Billion 2024/2025 budget

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has signed the 2024/2025 financial budget ending the three months stalemate between her administration and MCAs.

Mwangaza however admitted that the stalemate had affected service delivery in the County and occasioned delays in salary payments to county staff.

Roads takes the lion’s share of the 11.8billion budget followed by health.

“God is great, we have at long last signed this year’s financial budget. Though there have been challenges, we signed it because what is more important is Meru people to get development and services,” Mwangaza said.

Mwangaza urged residents to be patient and wait for the next two weeks for it to be approved by the controller of budget and the director of IFMIS.

At least Sh1.1billion has been allocated to the Meru County assembly while Sh1billion was allocated to pay pending bills.

Roads, health, land, water and Agriculture are the top five spenders. 

The development budget was increased to 36% of the total allocation while the rest 64% which is Sh6 billion goes to recurrent expenditure.

Monica Kathono, the Lands CEC said they stand losing Sh100million grant after the assembly slashed funds meant for management of Maua and Meru Town municipalities.

“They slashed iur proposal of  Sh19million and only allocated Sh6million for Meru municipality. Maua was to get Sh sh8.6million but it will only get Sh4million. Timau has been allocated 2.8million out of previous Sh6.2million. This amount can’t run a municipality. There is a great risk to lose funding from World Bank. Interestingly, they allocated Sh7million for public service Board training. The money will not be enough for garbage collection,” Kathono said.

County Secretary Dr Kiambi Atheru said though it is not the budget they had agreed with MCAs, they bowed to pressure for development to reach Mashinani.

“Meru can’t be held at ransom so the Governor had to sign it,” he said.

Mwangaza said some initiatives will fail especially casual workers because there  will be no money to pay them.

The county chief said her mobility would  be crippled because the MCAs slashed her budget from Sh10Million to Sh3Million. 

“This won’t deter me from serving Meru people. I will use all available means to reach Mashinani even if it means riding on a Bodaboda,” she said.

She lamented that scholarship funds were scrapped as well as money meant to improve infrastructure at a rehabilitation center. 

“The infighting had stagnated development within the County and I signed it so that we do away with challenges,” Mwangaza said, adding that youths will also not benefit from Free Bodaboda empowerment initiative as well as senior citizens whose budget for their NHIF benefits was allocated to other vote heads.

The budget should have been passed and signed by June 30th but stalemate stalled it.

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