Members of the County Assembly Question slow Implementation of The Budget as Financial Year Nears End.
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Thursday, 18th June, 2026
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Members of the County Assembly have faulted the County Executive over what they termed as laxity in effectively implementing the 2025/2026 budget, with only a few days remaining before the close of the financial year.
During a heated session of the Committee on General Oversight attended by County Executive Committee Members (CECMs), Chief Officers and senior county officials, MCAs expressed concern over the low level of project implementation across the County.
The legislators sought answers from County Director of Procurement, Martin Okwata, regarding the status of project procurement, questioning why many projects were yet to commence despite the financial year nearing its end.
According to the Director of Procurement, an estimated 70 percent of the planned procurable projects and activities have been contracted. A further 10 to 15 percent are currently at the tendering stage, while procurement processes for the remaining projects have not been initiated. This has raised concerns about the County’s ability to fully absorb and utilize its budget within the limited time remaining before the end of the financial year.
East Gem Ward MCA, Hon. Seth Baraka, questioned the County Executive’s commitment to service delivery, asking, ‘Does it bother you that, with only a few days left before the end of the financial year, very little appears to be happening across the county?’
West Asembo MCA, CPA Mark Okeyo, questioned the apparent discrepancy between the County’s Financial records and the status of project procurement.
He observed that, ‘departmental cashbooks indicate payment amounting to about 90 percent of budget allocations. The County Executive should explain what those payments covered, given that procurement status currently stands at only 70 percent.’
The Committee, chaired by Speaker George Okode, called on the Executive to expedite procurement and implementation processes to ensure the people of Siaya benefit from the projects and services earmarked in the current budget before the close of the financial year.
