Speaker and CECM standoff likely to affect budget implementation in Kitui

By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT 

 In a communication delivered during the County Assembly plenary sitting on Wednesday, Katisya informed Members of the County Assembly that he could not commit for debate documents that failed to comply with the law.

Speaker Katisya noted that when the budget documents were first presented to the Assembly in mid-May, he directed that they be returned to the County Executive Committee Member for Treasury, Peter Kilonzo, for alignment with the law. 

However, he added, the two documents were later resubmitted to the assembly without the necessary corrections and rectification.

“The CECM for Finance declined to address any of the issues I had raised. He instead responded with a letter in which he claimed that the Speaker does not know what he is doing by declining to commit the budget for consideration,” Katisya said.

The Kitui Speaker maintained that if the County Treasury CECM believed he was acting unlawfully, he was free to seek legal redress in court. He insisted that he would not be pressured into violating the law through political intimidation.

Katisya further stated that it was wrong for anyone to view the Speaker merely as a Master of Ceremonies, emphasizing that the office holder is a presiding officer mandated to admit documents for Assembly's consideration only when they meet the required legal standards.

“I cannot allow any agenda on the floor of this House that is unconstitutional. Likewise, I will not allow a budget that is unconstitutional. They have dared a lawyer,” he said.

In rejecting the budget documents, Katisya said he had identified several legal, fiscal and procedural deficiencies that rendered them unsuitable for consideration by the Assembly. The Speaker indicated that he would not direct the documents to be returned to the Treasury Department again, but said the concerned offices “should stand guided” by the communication he had delivered to the House.

If the budget impasse is not resolved promptly, it could lead to delays in the implementation of development projects and negatively affect service delivery across the county. The 2025/26 Supplementary Budget II is expected to be implemented before this June 30, while the 2026/27 Budget Estimates must be considered and approved by the County Assembly before the same deadline.