Sonko seeks additional Sh1bn for own office

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko is seeking Sh1 billion more for operations under his office for the year starting July amid concerns that the use for extra cash has not been disclosed.

City Hall’s budget plan for the coming financial year indicates that the recurrent budget for the office of the governor and his deputy will rise to Sh5.9 billion from Sh4.9 billion.

The planned increase will further balloon Nairobi’s spending on wages and salaries that stands at more than 60 percent of the total budget.

“They have not given us the intended programmes to be funded but we are meeting them today. We will then decide if to reduce the budget or accept it as they have proposed,” chairman of the Budget and Appropriations committee Robert Mbatia said Monday.

The Sh5.9 billion recurrent expenditure will mainly be used for payment of salaries, travel, office equipment and operations.

Besides Mr Sonko’s expenditure, his office caters for the legal, inspectorate departments and payment of outstanding bills.

This comes amid pressure for City Hall to reduce recurrent spending to free cash for projects like roads, building health centres and revamping water and sewerage services.

Nairobi is one of the counties flagged by the Controller of Budgets (CoB) over rising spending on salaries that has squeezed out development projects.

The CoB says City Hall used 22.3 billion on recurrent expenditure in the year to June last year, up from Sh13.42. Salaries took Sh15 billion of the budget, leaving a paltry Sh2.18 billion for development.