By Contributor
Garissa County Assembly has successfully conducted public participation on the proposed Garissa County First Supplementary Budget Estimates FY 2024/2025 and Finance Bill in Garissa today.
Hundreds of residents turned up at the gazetted venue of Garissa Primary and Junior Secondary School to present their views to the Committee on Finance, Budget and Appropriation led by Hon. Hajir Mohamed Dahiye.
The views of the residents mainly focused on pending bills, the ballooning recurrent expenditure and key priority development needs in the water, health and education sectors.
Amina Abdi Daar asked the MCAs to tame the high recurrent expenditures which she said has reduced the amount of money available for development budgets in a county whose residents lacked basic services like water, health and education.
‘Our hospitals are ailing and the communities are paying the salaries of ECDE teachers, what is the point of constructing perimeter walls around Garissa Primary School?’, Amina posed.
Omar Yassin lamented about unpaid pending bills that dated back to 2014 and asked the Committee members to ensure that the supplementary budget catered for the payment of those bills.
Aden Gaab added that some of the contractors who he said have been impoverished after investing all their savings in constructing county government projects have since died and have left behind destitute orphans and dependents.
Abdirahman Ahmed pled with the MCAs to stop the fencing of Garissa Primary School and recommit the money to the key sectors of water and health.
Nasteh Daud asked the Committee members to tour the rural settlements to see firsthand the suffering of the communities there. He suggested to the Committee to impose high levies on the fresh agriculture produce from the other counties that depended on rainfed agriculture to protect the local farmers.
Anthony Kilonzo pointed out that the Kshs. 3m that was the budgeted amount for the removal of asbestos in buildings in Madogashe was sufficient to remove the hazardous substance across the county.
Omar Guyo asked the Committee to consider allocating money for the hiring of teachers for visually impaired students in special needs schools.
Mohamed Amin advocated for the imposition of sin tax on miraa to discourage the consumption of the substance that he said was destroying the society.
Mohamed Ibrahim called on the MCAs to consider allocating more funds to hiring of teachers in borderline settlements of the county that he said had few TSC teachers.
Committee Chairperson Hon. Hajir assured the participants that their views would be factored in their ammendments to the Supplementary Budget and Finance Bill.
Madogashe MCA and Vice Chairperson of the Committee Hon. Mahat Abdikadir informed the participants that they could present written memoranda to the Assembly as well.
Dadaab MCA and Leader of the Majority Hon. Mohamed Abdi Farah, Township MCA and Leader of Minority Hon. Hussein Mohamed Dakane, Dertu MCA Hon. Adan Hassan Odhowa, Saka MCA Hon. Abdiweli Adan, Jarajara MCA Hon. Hussein Aden Durow, Nominated MCAs Hon. Khadija Idriss, Hon. Fatuma Mohamed Shide and Hon. Rukia Abdullahi were in attendance.
