By Joan Ngetich
The Trans Nzoia County Assembly sat late into the night on Tuesday to debate and approve the County Government's KSh12.67 billion Budget Estimates for the 2026/2027 Financial Year, meeting the constitutional deadline of 30th June.
The Assembly approved a total projected revenue of KSh12.67 billion, comprising KSh8.24 billion from the equitable share, KSh1.22 billion in locally generated revenue, KSh1.25 billion in grants and transfers, and KSh1.95 billion in committed unspent balances carried forward from the previous financial year.
The approved expenditure stands at KSh11.03 billion, with KSh6.9 billion allocated to recurrent expenditure and KSh4.13 billion earmarked for development. The budget also provides KSh750 million for ward-specific projects and KSh1.25 billion for donor-funded programmes.
The County Assembly received an allocation of KSh782.7 million, while the County Executive was allocated KSh10.25 billion to implement programmes aimed at improving service delivery and accelerating development across the county.
During the debate, a section of MCAs faulted the budget over what they described as unequal allocation of funds for ward offices. They noted that eight wards, among them Kiminini, Sitatunga, Kinyoro and Chepsiro/Kiptoror, had not received allocations for ward office construction, calling for fairness and equity in future budget allocations.
While tabling the Budget and Appropriations Committee report, Committee Chairperson Hon. Martin Simiyu Jamanoor assured Members that all committed unspent balances captured in the budget would be paid. He explained that the funds relate to contractual obligations and ongoing projects carried forward from the previous financial year, adding that the county government is committed to settling them to ensure continuity of development projects.
The late-night sitting underscored the Assembly's commitment to meeting the constitutional deadline for budget approval, allowing the county to commence implementation of the 2026/2027 financial plan without interruption.
