The Siaya County Budget and Economic Forum (CBEF) has turned up the heat on county departments, demanding accountability, faster implementation, and sharper prioritisation as it reviews progress on ongoing and planned projects ahead of the next budget cycle.
Meeting sector working groups drawn from various departments and agencies, the Forum is scrutinising the status of ongoing projects, stalled and yet-to-be-implemented initiatives, pending bills, and programmes suffering from chronic underfunding. The aim, officials say, is to ensure value for money and prevent waste amid tightening fiscal space.
CBEF Secretary Alex Dunga challenged departments to significantly improve their absorption of allocated funds, warning that low uptake continues to undermine service delivery and development outcomes across the county. He noted that while allocations are approved on time, delays in execution remain a persistent problem.
Dunga also stressed the urgency of realising Siaya’s ambitious Ksh 3 billion local revenue target, calling for innovative collection strategies and stricter enforcement. He assured residents that the ongoing political campaigns will not derail critical development priorities, including the first phase of the Level V health facility jointly funded by the National Government and the Nyalore administration.
“This project is a priority and will proceed as planned. Politics will not be an excuse for stalled healthcare delivery,” Dunga said.
In a firm move to rein in recurrent expenditure, the CBEF objected to a proposal to recruit 80 additional agricultural extension officers, citing a ballooning county wage bill that threatens to crowd out development spending. Instead, the Forum recommended a leaner approach, proposing an additional Ksh 51 million allocation to the department—far below the requested Ksh 254 million.
The budget review signals a tougher, results-driven approach by Siaya’s fiscal watchdog, as the county seeks to balance development ambitions with financial discipline. For residents, the message is clear: efficiency, not expansion, will define the next phase of county spending.