Senator Tabitha Karanja Piles Pressure on Governor Susan Kihika Over Gaps in ECDE, VTC Budget Spending
Read Time:2 Minute, 37 Second
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika is expected to respond to a raft of concerns raised by Senator Tabitha Karanja Keroche, after the Senate summoned her to account for glaring gaps in the county’s education-related budget execution.
The summons, anchored on an official communication from the Office of the Clerk to the Senate, lists education, Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE), and Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) as among the key areas of interest in the ongoing oversight probe. The governor is expected to provide answers on budget allocations, absorption rates, and mismanagement concerns raised in recent budget reports.
A review of the latest Controller of Budget (CoB) report for the first quarter of FY 2024/25 shows that Nakuru County allocated Kshs.1.12 billion for recurrent and Kshs.569.5 million for development to the Department of Education, Vocational Training, ICT, and E-Government.
However, by the end of the quarter, only Kshs.151.4 million in recurrent expenditure and zero in development had been spent, indicating an 83.1% recurrent absorption rate—but 0% absorption for development funds.
The Auditor-General’s breakdown of spending reveals that while Kshs.30 million was budgeted for ECDE access and retention services, and Kshs.24.6 million for free VTC education and training, no money had been spent by the end of the quarter on either front.
This apparent underperformance has intensified scrutiny from the Senate. Senator Tabitha Karanja, who has been vocal about the need for better service delivery in ECDE and technical education, has now successfully compelled the Senate to summon the governor to explain why key youth and early education programs remain unfunded despite budgetary approval.
“The lack of development spending in our schools and training centres is unacceptable,” a source close to the senator told Nakuru Times. “You cannot claim to prioritize the youth and children when classrooms, feeding programs, and VTC infrastructure receive zero disbursement.”
The Auditor-General’s findings also highlighted broader concerns with Nakuru’s financial governance. Notably, the county operated over 70 vocational training centre bank accounts in commercial banks, in direct contravention of the Public Finance Management (PFM) regulations, which require such accounts to be held at the Central Bank of Kenya.
Additionally, the county faces questions over its continued use of manual payroll systems for staff, which exposed public funds to potential misuse due to a lack of internal controls. The Auditor-General flagged Kshs.135 million in salaries paid through such methods during the same quarter.
Senator Tabitha Karanja’s oversight action has drawn cautious optimism from civil society actors, who argue that the accountability spotlight is long overdue.
“From ECDE to youth empowerment, the budget is there on paper, but the impact is absent on the ground,” said an education rights advocate in Nakuru. “It’s time someone held the executive accountable.”
While the governor’s team has yet to issue a formal response, insiders at the county treasury have hinted that delays in exchequer disbursements and procurement planning could be to blame—an explanation likely to be tested under Senate scrutiny.
0
0 
Average Rating