Day: June 10, 2024

The Turkana County Climate Change Fund Management Board (CCCFMB) has approved the expenditure of Sh 382 million to accelerate locally led climate change initiatives.

Chaired by Fr. Joseph Ekomwa, the board meeting followed Turkana’s legal framework for managing climate change.

Board members Ejore William Emoru and Eunice Mwajuma, along with members drawn from the county, attended the meeting.

The County representatives included Audan Leah Lokaala (County Executive for Climate Change), Joseph Ekalale (Chief Officer for Climate Change), George Emase (Climate Change Director), Benedict Mukoo Lochili (Disaster Management Director), and Kevin Ojiem (County Environment Officer).

Fr. Ekomwa stated that the approval was long overdue, as projects had already been identified and the compliance assessments were also satisfactory.

He expressed optimism that the funds, supported by the World Bank and the County Government under the Financing Locally Led Climate Change Action (FLLocCA) initiative, would be effectively
utilised.

Audan stressed the urgency of releasing the funds to empower communities to mitigate climate change impacts and enhance their resilience.

She noted that the general public, through the 30 Ward Climate Committees, had identified water provision, rangeland reseeding, and irrigation agriculture as priority areas.

The Chief Officer for Climate Change said the approval would enable phased disbursement of funds.

Ekalale emphasised that due diligence was followed in creating grievance response mechanisms and action plans.

This approval aligns with the county’s five-year Climate Change Action Plan (2023-2027) and Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai’s nine-point agenda.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Murang’a County has collected over Sh1 billion of own source revenue, during this financial year ending June 30.

The County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Finance, Prof. Kiarie Mwaura, while celebrating the milestone, said that as of Sunday, the county had for the first time surpassed the Sh1 billion mark in its own revenue collection.

‘We are celebrating as a county because for the first time we have been able to collect over Sh billion,’ Mwaura said, noting that the previous county government was collecting about Sh500 million.

The county executive attributed the remarkable progress in revenue collection to the automation of revenue collection, where residents pay for all services electronically, thus sealing off all loopholes that previously led to loss of revenue.

He stated that in the 2022-2023 financial year, the county had collected about Sh700 million in revenue, an amount that has almost doubled this financial year, and yet the county has not increased the charges for any services since 201
8.

‘We have managed to collect this much without necessarily increasing any taxes that could overburden the taxpayers,’ he noted.

The Department of Health is leading in revenue collection, having collected Sh360 million in 2023-2024, up from Sh120 million in the previous financial year.

Prof. Mwaura also noted that there has been a shift in the culture of county employees, and they are now working more diligently.

‘The officers on the ground are now more vigilant and work with integrity because they can see how the money they collect is being used by Governor Irungu Kang’ata for the benefit of all residents of the county,’ he said.

The county executive explained that the money collected buys medicine and employs medics for all the health facilities in the county, funds the Smart City programme that is tarmacking urban areas and improving drainage, and is also used for the subsidy for farmers under the Inua Mkulima programme.

The money also funds porridge for 42000 children in the Early Childhood Develop
ment Education (ECDE) centres Uji programme, the free healthcare for the vulnerable known as Kang’ata Care, and is also used for bursaries.

Prof. Mwaura commended all those involved in the revenue collection chain, including the sub-county revenue officers and parking attendants, for their stellar performance.

He stated that the county intends to continue improving revenue collection and sets the target for its own source of revenue for the 2024-2025 financial year at Sh1.5 billion.

Source: Kenya News Agency