Trans Nzoia Governor Patrick Khaemba has faulted a budget cut affecting the completion of the Trans Nzoia referral hospital. The County budget was presented with budget cuts affecting projects initiated by the Trans Nzoia Governor. The County’s budget estimate for the year 2018/2019 was Kshs 4,180,610,828. The estimated money meant for the completion of the teaching and referral hospital initially stood at Kshs 330,000,000, but it was reduced by Kshs 130,000,000 to Kshs 200,000,000.
The reduced budgetary allocation for the construction and completion of the referral hospital was faulted by Governor Khaemba, who said the County Assembly had politicized the issue. Addressing the press, he criticized the decision, saying he will opt to sell the facility and pay back the money used to construct the hospital. An infuriated Khaemba said the County wasn’t ready for the development project he had initiated.
However, the Speaker of the County Assembly Joshua Werunga and majority leader Patrick Kisiero said they don’t have a clear framework detailing what the Governor intends to accomplish when it comes to the referral hospital, given that he only presented the proposal to the Assembly without a clearly laid out a spending plan. Kisiero said Governor Khaemba was handling projects alone without involving the whole County leadership, adding that it was detrimental to the County’s progress.
Speaker Werunga urged the County boss to organize a meeting with the MCAs in order to iron out their differences which emanated from the budgetary allocations, adding that the Governor won’t be allowed to sell the referral hospital set up through the taxpayers’ money.
