Nairobi MCAs postpone tabling of budget after morning drama

By , K24 Digital
On Thu, 25 Jun, 2020 14:56 | < 1 min read
Nairobi MCAs want county gov't to set aside budget for condoms
City Hall Nairobi. PHOTO/ Joel Muinde

By Zainab Said, Milele FM

Nairobi County Assembly has postponed the tabling of Sh36.3 billion 2020/2021 budget after the drama witnessed on Thursday morning.

The Assembly's Majority Leader Charles Thuo said a special sitting could be called by Tuesday, June 30, which is the deadline for the ward representatives to present and pass the budget.

On Wednesday night, a group of MCAs numbering almost 50 chose to spent the night in the assembly after rumours that they would be blocked from entering the building in the morning.

Thuo, who is the Dandora MCA, said that ward reps who sympathize with Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko's plight wanted to disrupt the budget process because of the enormous chunk given to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).

NMS, the organ created by President Uhuru Kenyatta to take over the functions handed over to the national government by Sonko was allocated Sh27.6 billion in the budget.

For the rest of the functions left to Sonko, the county was allocated only Sh9 billion which represents a sore point for the governor facing re-election in two years time.

The Nairobi County Assembly majority leader claimed that his predecessor on Wednesday night led a team of MCAs to a meeting with Sonko to plan how to oppose the current budget.

The Guyo-led team wants the NMS budget halved.