KITUI CIVIL SERVANTS REPRESENTATIVES CALL ON ASSEMBLY SPEAKER

The Kitui County Civil Servants representatives today paid a visit to the Assembly Speaker Hon. George Ndotto. The officials who included Mr. Martin Musunza, Mr. Newton Kimanzi, Mr. Benjamin Munyalo, Ms. Lilian Nzioki and Mr. Stephen Kitheka were representing Kenya Union of Clinical Officers, Kenya Union of Nurses, Union of Kenya Civil Servants, Kenya Medical Practitioners & Dentists Union and the Kenya County Government Workers Union.

The visit aimed at inquiring about the position of the Assembly on the matter of the delayed budget process that is affecting the payment of salaries of civil servants across the County.

While welcoming the officials, the Speaker of the Assembly who was accompanied by the Majority Leader, Hon. Peter Kilonzo (Athi Ward) and Hon. Jane Mutua (Kauwi Ward) informed the unionists that the Assembly is waiting for the County Executive Committee Member for Finance to submit a County Appropriations Bill based on the approved estimates to the Assembly. The Speaker told the trade unionist representatives that the Appropriations Bill that was submitted was not based on the approved estimates and therefore the Assembly could not deliberate on an illegal document.

Hon Peter Kilonzo informed the unionists that the Assembly has passed a motion on the status of the Kitui Budget Estimates for the FY 2020/2021 which was sponsored by the Hon. Boniface Kasina (Tseikuru Ward). The Assembly resolved in that motion that the CECM for County Treasury submits within 7 days the County Appropriations Bill, 2020/2021 for approval. “The Minister is holding Kitui County at ransom and everything is on standstill including the salaries and development of the county,” mentioned Hon. Peter Kilonzo.

Hon. Jane Mutua told the unionists that legally any vote on account can only be approved in the event that the Governor is out of the country, is unwell or there is something that is making the Appropriations Bill not to be signed. “Any other information going round on social media about the Assembly not passing a Vote on Account is untrue and every employee of the county government is entitled to a pay which is budgeted for in every financial year,” Hon. Jane reiterated.