By A, KNA
Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) in Migori have urged the Migori county government to avail the budget process document and other relevant materials online to help inform the public.
Speaking during a sensitisation forum on the budget-making process at one of the hotels in Migori town, Kenya Peasant League Representative Sidi Otieno said that there were a lot of gaps in the budget-making process due to inadequate information documents on the county’s website
Otieno said that the forum discussed how they can engage and work with the county government to improve information availability to the residents of Migori, especially on the ongoing County budget paper and review document.
He also said that it was equally important for the county government to come up with a budget to sustain projects funded by donors to realise economic viability.
“We have the Sh117 million Getong’anya Potatoes Processing Plant project in the Kuria West sub-county constructed by the European Union (EU) four years ago, yet it’s not operational due to a lack of funds from the county government to hire human resources,”said Otieno.
Gloria Ochola, a Budget Champion, said that it was very important to have public participation in budget-making process to enable residents’ own projects to be implemented by the county.
Ochola, however, urged the county to devolve public participation in budget discussions at ward levels to give every resident a say on what needs to be included and excluded in the budget-making process.
She further explained that accessibility and availing of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP), County Annual Development Plan (ADP), Feasible Strategy Paper, and budget estimates on the county website will enable the budget champions and county residents to analyse and understand the county projects.
“Residents need to take ownership of the projects to fully benefit from what their county government and donors are doing because availing of information is a constitutional right,” she noted.
Godfrey Oyando, an Accountability and Budget Champion, said that the majority of sitting Governors have found it difficult to answer questions on accountability and the independence of the devolved unit.
He noted that the lack of the Migori Domesticated Public Participation Act has created legal and policy gaps in public participation.
“There is a need to put in place structures such as a legal and policy framework to guide how the county government can engage citizens in public participation,” said Oyando.