The gloves are off. Kuanikana, kuanikana.

A new analysis of the county budgets by The Standard dwarfs last week’s findings by a Senate committee and goes to show that embattled Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu is actually not alone.
Samburu County, with one of the smallest budgets, approved allocations and actually spent millions on the East Africa Customs Union at the expense of more urgent needs of the pastoralist community.
In what appears to be a brazen waste of public resources, the counties spent huge allocations on State House functions, free primary education, economic policy and national planning, rail transport and Government clearing services among others
The Standard has established that Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Nyeri, Laikipia, Nakuru, Kakamega, Kitui, Kilifi, Samburu and Nyamira are among those with the suspect allocations in their financial reports for the year ending June 2018.

Laikipia County Finance Executive Murungi Nadi said the county has nothing to do with those allocations that were “a big mistake.”
“The budget that we presented to the Controller of Budget had no such items. The Auditor General’s report is erroneous. We did not put such allocations. Someone must have put them to achieve some end,” said Mr Nadi, referring to listed items on free primary and day secondary education as well as university education.
For instance, Kiambu, Kakamega, Kirinyaga and Samburu also approved budgetary allocations for the coordination of State House functions to the tune of Sh973 million, Sh75 million, Sh344 million and Sh81.7 million respectively.

Nyeri and Kirinyaga presented to the county assemblies a budget vote for rail and marine transport which was subsequently approved and money spent. This is despite lack of rail transport system linking the two counties.
Kitui spent Sh403 million on economic policy and national planning, national statistical information service and management of devolution affairs, which are national government functions.
In Murang’a, MCAs approved budget for the building of a chief’s camp, refurbishing of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and Deputy County Administration Police Commander homes.
And despite budgeting Sh37 million for the transfer of funds and assets to other Government entities, Murang’a went ahead and spent Sh502 million.
Murang’a further spent Sh16.5 million on the repayment of a domestic and foreign loans that are none-existent.
Nyamira spent Sh271 million on free primary education, a national government function, after MCAs approved a budget of Sh305 million.
Nyeri County Finance Executive Robert Thuo exonerated the county from blame, saying the allocations were Ifmis system-generated.
Mr Thuo said the county only had one budget which was approved by the MCAs which had no such allocations, and which they have been pegging their expenditure on.