Trans Nzoia County Assembly Burns the Midnight Oil to Pass KSh12.67 Billion Budget Before Constitutional Deadline

The proposed Trans Nzoia  County  Budget  for the 2026/2027 fiscal year outlining a total projected expenditure of KSh 12.67 billion was passed last night after meeting the constitutional deadline of  30th June.

The 12.67 billion comprises  KSh8.24 billion from the equitable share, KSh1.22 billion in locally generated revenue, KSh1.25 billion in grants and transfers while KSh1.95 billion in committed unspent balances carried forward from the previous financial year was captured.

The approved expenditure stands at KSh11.03 billion, with KSh6.9 billion allocated to recurrent expenditure and KSh4.13 billion earmarked for development. The budget also provides KSh750 million for ward-specific projects and KSh1.25 billion for donor-funded programmes.

The County Assembly received an allocation of KSh782.7 million, while the County Executive was allocated KSh10.25 billion to implement programmes aimed at improving service delivery and accelerating development across the county.

During the debate, a section of MCAs faulted the budget over what they described as unequal allocation of funds for ward offices. They noted that eight wards, among them Kiminini, Sitatunga, Kinyoro and Chepsiro/Kiptoror, had not received allocations for ward office construction, calling for fairness and equity in future budget allocations.

While tabling the Budget and Appropriations Committee report, Committee Chairperson Hon. Martin Simiyu Jamanoor assured Members that all committed unspent balances captured in the budget would be paid. He explained that the funds relate to contractual obligations and ongoing projects carried forward from the previous financial year, adding that the county government is committed to settling them to ensure continuity of development projects.

The late-night sitting Tuesday underscored the Assembly's commitment to meeting the constitutional deadline for budget approval, allowing the county to commence implementation of the 2026/2027 financial plan without interruption.

Trans Nzoia County Resident association through its Chairman John Simiyu  lauded Members of the Assembly legislative arm for passing the critical budgets, citing the positive impact these financial plans will have on local service delivery, a year to next year’s general election.

Mr. Simiyu who was speaking to Vision News said budgets typically unlock funding for crucial sectors like water reticulation, road maintenance, waste management among other devolved functions including Health and Agriculture.  

‘’The passage of these budgets highlights the inclusion of community-identified projects, which improves accountability. We are now asking the Assembly leadership to consult the executive wing through His Excellency the Governor to have the budgets separated allowing ward representatives to monitor projects in order to get better results ‘’, Said Mr. Simiyu

The Association, he said will continue  advocating  for better services, speedy development, and structured public participation in county decision-making.

Mr. Simiyu thanked Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya for allocating 30 percent of the total budget to the health sector, which has been allocated Kshs 175.5 billion to strengthen Universal Health Coverage. (UHC), improving primary health care in addition to expanding specialized medica care.