The Kitui County Assembly has returned the FY 2025/2026 Second Supplementary Budget to the County Executive over what it described as serious legal, fiscal and procedural irregularities.
During the Tuesday afternoon plenary sitting held at the County Assembly Chambers, Speaker Kevin Kinengo Katisya directed the Office of the Clerk to formally return the budget estimates to the County Executive Committee Member for Finance, Economic Planning and Revenue Management.
Speaker Kinengo said approving the Supplementary Budget Estimates in their current form would amount to an illegality and compromise the Assembly’s constitutional responsibility of enforcing checks and balances, fiscal accountability and adherence to the rule of law.
The Supplementary Budget Estimates II for FY 2025/2026 had been submitted to the Assembly under Section 135 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 and Standing Order No. 214 of the Kitui County Assembly Standing Orders.
The Speaker noted that following the tabling of the estimates during the morning sitting of Tuesday, 5th May 2026, the Office of the Clerk had been directed to conduct a detailed legal and procedural review before the House could consider the document.
Among the key issues identified were omission of re-voted funds, negative IFMIS balances, unrealistic own-source revenue projections, underfunding of pending bills, introduction of new projects outside the approved budget framework, and proposed reallocation of funds meant for major road projects.
The Assembly also raised concerns over plans to divert funds earmarked for construction of County Assembly ward offices despite existing contractual obligations.
Speaker Kinengo maintained that the Assembly was not ready to process the supplementary estimates in their current state, saying the proposals undermine fiscal discipline, transparency, accountability, constitutionalism and prudent management of public resources.
He directed the County Treasury to address all the identified anomalies and ensure full compliance with the Constitution, the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 and all relevant laws before resubmitting the budget to the House.
Members of the County Assembly backed the Speaker’s communication, arguing that failure to allocate adequate resources for roads and ward offices would negatively affect service delivery and hinder Members from effectively carrying out their responsibilities to residents.
