The Budget and Appropriations Committee of the National Assembly has conducted public hearings in Eldoret Uasin Gishu County to allow residents to participate in the budget process and provide feedback on proposed budgets and related legislation on the FY 2025/26 estimates of the revenue and expenditure.
The residents highlighted various concerns on key areas ranging from infrastructure, electricity, water and agriculture especially diversification from maize to coffee, health, education among others.
In his remarks, David Sigilai from Turbo constituency expressed displeasure over lack of a medical college and therefore requested for the government to allocate enough funds to build Kenya Medical Training College thus fostering education on medical courses.
Another resident from the same Sub County, Samwel Maritim, called on the government to prioritize rural electrification in budget allocation noting that the area had only 30 percent electricity connectivity.
Represented people with disabilities (PWDs) from Soy Sub County, Obed Sum proposed the construction of educational centers for PWDs in every sub county.
Sum also requested for equal allocation of bursaries to enable PWDs to acquire education without any financial constraints.
He further urged both tiers of government and various government agencies to consider the PWDs during job recruitments while commended the County Government of Uasin Gishu for employing PWDs to serve in their offices.
Committee chair clarified that the program for funding of orphan students was active and well-funded after a resident of Uasin Gishu Ann Mastamet raised concern on the same.
The residents mentioned priority projects for consideration including roads heading to farms used to transport produce like coffee, maize and others as well as equipping of hospitals like Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) with ultra-modern machines for treatment and management of chronic illnesses like cancer among others.
Noah Sirtui from Kesses, called on the government to consider electricity, roads, health, agriculture, water and education among others.
Sirtui advocated for the revamping and expansion of Kesses, Kerita and Narasha dams tp enable the residents to get sufficient supply of water for farming and for domestic use.
The views were echoed by Turbo member of parliament Janet Sitienei who called for sufficient budgetary allocation to enhance electricity connection across the county and for the construction of dams to provide enough water for domestic and agriculture uses especially for growing high value crops like coffee grown in the area.
The Budget Chair, Samwel Atandi assured the members of the public that their views and memoranda will be put into consideration noting that the budget was going to cater for the key priority areas like infrastructure, health, agriculture, rural electrification, water and education.
Atandi revealed that the budget was going to be supported by the revenue projections from ordinary revenues by Kenyans and also through loans, adding that the main goal of this year’s budget was to cut the borrowing.
He alluded that the proposed budget estimates presented the committee was at Sh4.2 trillion.
In the estimates, the national will spend Sh 2.5 trillion, counties Sh 405 billion, Sh 1 trillion will be used to pay interests on debts while the remaining Sh 300 billion will cater for pensions and constitutional commissions.
By Fredrick Maritim and Dorothy Chepkwemoi
