Uhuru remains adamant over Budget reading

Written By:Catherine Achienga,    Posted: Sat, May 28, 2011

Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta being introduced by Maragua MP Elias Mbau at the Maragua Agricultural Show

The row surrounding the country's next budget continues to deepen with finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta dismissing as impractical those challenging the constitutionality of his move to read the country's budget on 8^th of June in parliament. 

Uhuru who shared a podium with the Chair of the Parliamentary Budget Committee Elias Mbau both took a swipe at the commission on the implementation of the new constitution who has termed the Uhuru's intentions to read the budget unconstitutional.

Friday's action by the Commission of Implementation of the new constitution in a letter delivered to treasury pointing out the illegality by treasury and the budget committee to extend the deadline for submission of the budget estimates to parliament to allow for public participation as outlined in the constitution, is what has irked the two organs.

Taking advantage of the podium during the opening of the Maragua Agricultural Show on Friday, the two pointed out that the issue of budget making was already time barred as envisaged in the constitution and therefore those insisting on implementing the new constitution should also take into account the transitional clause that cushion the life of the current parliament

Uhuru insisted the budget would be read on the 8^th of June along with other East African country's on grounds that there were no structures in place to support the budget making process as envisaged in the new constitution. Sentiments echoed by the Maragua MP who also chairs the budget committee Elias Mbau.

Confusion has reigned in the past few days on when the budget will be read after it emerged that the minister of finance was yet to present the estimates before the Parliamentary budget committee as required by the new constitution.

But according to Uhuru it was impossible for the team in Treasury to keep up with the constitutional requirement this year due to the short period since the promulgation of the constitution.

The minister also believes there is a divergence in interpretation of the constitution on presentation of the estimates.

On the 145 billion shillings that ministries are expected to return to treasury over their non utilization of the funds, Uhuru says there has been a slow uptake of projects as well as procurement and bureaucratic procedures that have slowed down the implementation of earmarked projects.

Estimates tabled by the minister before parliament indicate that the government plans to spend 976 billion shillings in the next financial year compared to 884 billion allocated last year for the current fiscal year.