Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has refuted claims of extravagant spending on travel allowances by his administration, following revelations by the Controller of Budget (CoB) that several counties, including Bungoma, overspent on travel expenses in the 2022/2023 financial year.
According to the Controller of Budget (CoB), Bungoma County is among five counties on the spot for excessive expenditure on travel, with a reported figure of Sh696.24 million. Other counties on the list included Turkana (Sh1.14 billion), Migori (Sh894.32 million), Tana River (Sh532.65 million), and Nairobi County (Sh529 million).
However, Governor Lusaka contested the CoB report, clarifying that the mentioned Sh600 million was part of operational and recurrent expenses, covering items such as fuel for county vehicles, repairs, travel expenses for the county assembly, and travel allowances for the public during county public participation activities.
Challenging the report
Lusaka argued, “The report is exaggerated by indicating that the amount was solely for travel expenditure, which is completely outrageous and practically impossible even if I had to travel daily throughout the year.”
He also criticized the report for failing to specify that the expenditure encompassed pending bills from the previous financial year (2021/22). A significant portion of the expenses was used to settle these outstanding bills.
Governor Lusaka is challenging the Controller of Budget to provide transparency in her figures to prevent unnecessary tension in the counties when such reports are released.
“When the CoB says Bungoma has spent Sh696 million on local travel and fails to tell the public that the said amount also includes the cost of repairing vehicles, fuel, and payment of pending bills from the previous administration among other costs, that is misleading,” Lusaka emphasized.
He called on the media to critically assess such reports instead of sensationalizing them, urging for factual, clear, and timely releases by the Controller of Budget to keep residents informed about county financial matters.
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