Kisii goevernor-elect Simba Arati has refused the KSh57 million Assumption of Office budget exercise set to take place today, Thursday, August 25.
Addressing the press in Kisii town on Wednesday, August 24, the Kisii governor-elect said he does not expect to spend over KSh 50 million in a day, whereas there is no medicine in hospitals and scarcity of water.
Instead Arati said he will use his own money and channel the budgeted financial resources to other viable projects.
“Let me shock you I had to slash this to KSh 3.5 million. The sum increased by KSh 600,000 because of the media adverts that had to be paid for streaming the event live. But the truth of the matter is that I would not wish to use KSh 57 million in a day when we don’t have medicine in our hospitals. I cannot use KSh 57 million when our people lack water,” Arati said.
The recently-retired MP for Dagoretti South said that he had also rejected proposals by the office committee to spend KSh 33 million on new cars for him and his deputy.
Arati said that KSh 7 million will be set aside for office renovations, KSh 6 million for the governor’s mansion, and KSh 10 million for the swearing-in event.
“But I told them I have my car, which I will fuel with my money. My deputy can use the other car that the outgoing governor has been using. So, the KSh 33 million will be allocated to other ongoing county projects,” he explained.
