- Members of the Nairobi County Assembly on Tuesday, March 4, stormed Governor Johnson Sakaja’s office to protest the delayed release of funds
- The MCAs lamented that the delay had affected the issuance of bursaries to needy students as well as occasioned a lack of basic effects at the Nairobi county assembly
- However, Sakaja told the MCAs that he was not to blame for the situation and asked them to storm the office of the Controller of Budget, which they did
Disgruntled Nairobi Members of County Assembly (MCAs) have stormed Governor Johnson Sakaja's offices protesting the alleged delayed disbursement of funds to the county.
The MCAs on Tuesday, March 4, matched from Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng'ondi’s office and crossed over to the executive wing before forcing their way to Sakaja’s office.
How lack of funds has affected operations in Nairobi
According to Korogocho MCA Absalomon Odhiambo, who led the protests, lack of funds has led to the delayed disbursement of bursary funds, stalled Ward Development Fund projects and lack of basic personal effects like tissue paper at the assembly.
The county legislators laid blame on the Controller of Budget (CoB), Margaret Nyakang’o, for allegedly withholding requisitions made to her office for far too long.
At the governor’s office, the MCAs demanded to know why the executive wing was not remitting funds.
“We are tired, we are going to shut down the assembly, we want to talk to the governor,” the angry MCAs shouted in an effort to smoke the governor out of his office.
Sakaja would later emerge from his office to try and cool the situation down as the MCAs broke into a protest dance.
However, the governor turned the heat on Nyakang’o and gave the MCAs the nod to storm her offices.
“What you need to know, her office is over there so just cross and demand for this funds,” Sakaja said.
In addition, the county boss noted that he is aware of over 119,000 children depending on bursary who are now stranded and unable to attend classes.
Nairobi MCAs storm Bima House
The MCAs then left Sakaja’s office and walked straight to Bima House, where CoB offices are domiciled.
They took over the offices, forcing the staff at Bima House to take the back seat in their own yard.
The Controller of Budget has been at loggerheads with counties over the disbursement of bursary funds and the Ward Development Fund kitty.
Counties with zero spending on development
Tura Turu News.co.ke previously reported that a report by the Controller of Budget revealed that at least 10 counties reported no development expenditure in the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year.
The report also revealed that during the year under review, counties reported a KSh 67.74 billion drop in spending on development, which stood at KSh 55.68 billion
Kirinyaga and Busia counties registered the highest development absorption rate, with Siaya and Garissa among the top.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at Tura Turu News.co.ke