Counties flagged for working greater than 100 financial institution accounts

Controller of Budget (COB) has flagged 10 counties for working greater than 100 financial institution accounts in addition to raised issues over 15 others which spent tens of millions of shillings on non-priority gadgets.

In her newest report, COB Margaret Nyakang’o regretted that counties are working various accounts opposite to rules 82(1)(b) of the PFM (County Governments) Regulations, 2015, which requires County Government financial institution accounts to be opened and maintained on the Central Bank of Kenya.

The counties with the best variety of accounts embrace Baringo, Nairobi City, Bomet, Elgeyo Marakwet, Machakos, Murang’a Nakuru, Nyamira, Nyandarua, and Transnzoia.

Petty money

Reads the report: “The only exemption is for imprest bank accounts for petty cash and revenue collection bank accounts.”

With regards to counties that spent tens of millions of flimsy gadgets, the report for the County Governments’ Budget Implementation Review Report for the primary half of the Financial Year (FY) 2024/25, masking the interval from July 1 to December 31, 2024, raises issues that various the counties spent enormous budgets on rubbish and authorized charges at a time when Kenyans are struggling to make ends meet.

For occasion, Nairobi City County spent Sh897.82 million on rubbish assortment and Sh719.26 million on Legal charges/Dues, arbitration, and compensation funds expenditure of authorized charges, Nyeri County spent Sh8.50 million on rubbish assortment and Sh7.95 million on Legal charges/Dues, arbitration and compensation, Homa Bay county spent Sh8.40 million on authorized charges/dues.

With regards to financial institution accounts, the report exhibits that in Baringo County, the county operates 265 accounts with business banks, together with 230 accounts for Health Facilities, 9 accounts for Established Funds, 10 income accounts, 5 particular goal accounts (further allocations), one curiosity account, and 10 cost accounts (recurrent and improvement), whereas Bomet County operates 148 accounts business banks, together with 131 accounts for Health Facilities, 4 accounts for Established Funds, one income account, seven particular goal accounts (further allocations), 4 imprest accounts, one recurrent operational account and one improvement operational account.

Established funds

Elgeyo Marakwet County operates 127 accounts together with 89 accounts for Health Facilities, 9 accounts for Established Funds, 4 income accounts, 9 particular goal accounts (further allocations), imprest accounts, seven recurrent operational accounts and 4 improvement operational, Machakos county operates 225 accounts with business banks, together with 164 accounts for Health Facilities, 9 accounts for Established Funds, 16 income accounts, 28 particular goal accounts (further allocations), three imprest accounts, two particular operations accounts, three wage suspense accounts whereas Mombasa county operates 94 accounts with business banks, together with 62 accounts for Health Facilities, three for Vocational Training Centres, 4 for Established Funds, 9 income accounts, 9 particular goal accounts (further allocations) and eight for imprest accounts.

Nairobi County operates 174 accounts with business banks together with 100 and twenty-three accounts for Health Facilities, eleven accounts for Vocational Training Centres, 16 particular goal accounts (further allocations), two Early Childhood Development Accounts (ECDs), two imprest accounts, and one recurrent operational account and one improvement operational accounts.

Nakuru County operates 297 financial institution accounts with business banks, together with 195 accounts for Health Facilities, 70 accounts for Vocational Training Centres, 15 accounts for Established Funds, seven income accounts, eight particular goal accounts (further allocations), two imprest accounts, and three recurrent operational accounts and xx improvement operational accounts.

Nyamira County operates 157 accounts together with 103 accounts for Health Facilities, 33 accounts for Vocational Training Centres, 4 accounts for Established Funds, three income accounts, 11 particular goal accounts (further allocations), one imprest account, and two recurrent operational accounts, Nyandarua county operates 91 accounts with business banks, together with 84 for well being amenities, Trans Nzoia county County Government operates 135 accounts with business banks, together with 83 accounts for Health Facilities, 32 for Vocational Training Centres, seven for Established Funds, two for income, six particular goal accounts (further allocations), 4 for imprest accounts, and one for improvement operational account.

With regards to expenditure regarding improvement and recurrent vote, the report exhibits that within the first half of FY 2024/25, the County Governments’ improvement expenditure amounted to Sh33.60 billion, translating to an absorption fee of 16 per cent of their combination annual improvement price range of Sh211.53 billion.

The report exhibits that Counties that attained the bottom absorption charges of their respective accepted improvement budgets embrace Baringo and Tana River every at 7 per cent, adopted by Taita-Taveta, Kisumu, Nairobi City and Nyeri every at 6 per cent and Elgeyo-Marakwet, Lamu, Nakuru and Kitui every at 5 per cent.

Those with the best absorption fee when it comes to improvement embrace Mandera County which spent 32 per cent of its price range, adopted by Narok County at 30 per cent, Garissa County at 28 per cent, Uasin Gishu County at 27 per cent and Marsabit County at 26 per cent.