Embu County Assembly rubbishes claims of misappropriation of funds

Speaking at Kangaru Vocations Training Centre, Swaleh said the Assembly members are aligning public resources with the budget provided by the County Executive.

"Our role as County Assembly members is to align resources with the budget, not to change items in the budget. The executive members are the ones responsible for making the budget," said Swaleh.

Swaleh clarified that contrary to the claims, MCAs advocate for increased development funding.

He noted that MCAs participate in policymaking related to budgeting, which includes proposing amendments to the budget to address emerging needs and priorities.

"The current budget proposal for primary school capitation is Ksh.8,500. When we bring this to the assembly, we are the ones who advocate for the increase. For example, you brought a bursary allocation of Ksh.50 million, and we advocate for its increase to Ksh.100 million," he explained.

Swaleh suggested that the reduction in public funds in Embu County could be due to the current county government repaying debts inherited from the previous administration.

"We inherited a county with a deficit of Ksh.2.2 billion. In last year's budget, the Embu County government was able to repay Ksh.580 million, and that is where we are losing a lot of money as a county," he explained.

"Looking at Ksh.580 million repaid, it's a lot of money that could have been used for grassroots projects, but the county went on to pay debts incurred by the previous administration," Swaleh pointed out.

He further emphasized the importance of the county government clearing all pending debts before embarking on further development agendas calling for patience from residents as the county government works to stabilize the local economy.

The Deputy Speaker also urged leaders to utilize the small resources for the benefit of the residents and to fund their luxurious lifestyle.