Civil society groups in Isiolo have expressed dissatisfaction with the county’s 2020/2021 budget estimates and demanded that the devolved unit allocates more resources for equipping of dispensaries, sinking of boreholes and empowerment of youth, women and disabled people.
The over 40 groups also demanded that resources be channelled towards murramming of various roads, supporting community health volunteers, purchase of more ambulances and giving of bursaries to needy learners.
Led by Isiolo Voice of Women Network (IVWN), the activists lamented over poor implementation of the county’s budget in the previous three years, saying it had hurt development and affected service delivery.
In the past years, the lobbies said, residents’ views shared during public participation forums were not captured in the final budget documents, denying them their constitutional right.
The groups, while presenting a memorandum to Isiolo County Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Abdi Duba on Thursday, demanded that expenditure reports for the executive be made public for perusal by the residents.
“We demand that the expenditure reports for the previous years be made public so that we can see how funds have been used and know whether all what was passed in previous budgets has been implemented or not,” Isiolo CSOs Network Chair Abdullahi Shandey said.
The law requires that the executive prepare and publish quarterly expenditure reports that show the implementation against the planned activities.
The lobbies lashed out at Governor Mohamed Kuti’s administration for initiating "too many unnecessary supplementary budgets" in past financial years that saw funds meant for development diverted to recurrent expenditure.
IVWN representative Consolata Lomilio said most feeder roads leading to health facilities, schools and markets are in deplorable state, making it hard for pregnant women to access crucial services.
Among the roads the groups want murramed include those connecting Kambi Sheikh, Elsa Ntirim and Kakili areas, Game and Lokit in Burat and the one connecting Kisile and Chumvi Yare.
“Sinking of boreholes will rid our people of the burden of traveling for many kilometres in search of the crucial commodity. We will keenly follow to see if the views expressed in the document are captured in the budget,” said Ms Lomilio shortly after presenting the memorandum in Isiolo town.
The organisations want Sh35 million allocated for bursaries increased to Sh50 million and Sh5.3 million set aside for construction of youth polytechnics be increased to Sh10 million.
They also want the ward bursary committees reviewed to ensure fairness and for the neediest and most vulnerable to benefit.
They took issues with reduced allocation for the ECDE feeding programme from Sh15 million in the 2019/2020 budget to Sh10 million in the 2020/2021 estimates.
The activists regretted that farmers in Burat and Ngaremara wards have not received certified seeds despite Sh11 million having been allocated for the same in the 2019/2020 budget.
Further, they said, no capacity building for farmers has been done by the county government.
“The county should provide market linkages for small scale farmers and value addition services for agriculture and livestock products. Subsidised tractor services should be streamlined as farmers continue to pay for the services,” read the memorandum.
Ms Rose Akai, a youth representative, called for fairness in the distribution of group funds so that the intended ones benefit.
“We have never benefited from the empowerment funds and we want fairness so that the right people benefit,” she said.
Mr Duba promised to ensure the issues raised by the activists are captured in the budget which will be tabled next week.
“We will look into the issues contained in the memorandum before tabling of the estimates,” the Wabera MCA said.
