The budget expansion came two days before Mr Rotich’s presentation of the budget to Parliament on Wednesday.
Mr Rotich on Monday warned MPs that the proposed budget would be unfunded by more than Sh1 billion, but MPs promised to finance it through re-allocation of funds across the budget lines.
Members of Parliament have once again ganged up to increase Parliament’s budget in a move that effectively makes nonsense of the austerity measures Treasury secretary Henry Rotich instituted on public expenditure this year.
The multi-billion shilling budget expansion came two days before Mr Rotich’s presentation of the budget to Parliament on Wednesday.
It happened during Mr Rotich’s meeting with the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) where Parliament’s budget rose to Sh28.4 billion from the Sh24.7 billion expenditure plan the Treasury had set for the House in financial year starting July.
Mr Rotich failed in his bid to have lawmakers settle on the Sh27.3 billion the Treasury had earlier allocated the bicameral Parliament.
But MPs also had to climb down from the Sh31.9 billion the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) had proposed as the House budget for 2016/17.
Mr Rotich warned the MPs that the proposed budget would be unfunded by more than Sh1 billion, but MPs promised to finance it through re-allocation of funds across the budget lines.
“I think you have ruled that Parliament’s budget be set at Sh28.4 billion, but the issue is how to finance it. We are looking at numbers that are not very clear,” Mr Rotich said, adding that the proposal was unreasonable.
“We know you will not be able to absorb this budget,” Mr Rotich told BAC chairman and Mbeere South MP Mutava Musyimi who ruled that Parliament’s budget goes up by Sh1 billion.
Mr Rotich said the Treasury had been allocated more than Sh8 billion, which is a one-off expenditure for development. He said the amount includes Sh3.4 billion for completion of a 26 storey office block that is being built near the MPs’ Continental House offices.
“The budget for this year, which ends this month, is Sh24.8 billion for recurrent and Sh2.1 billion for development. Parliament has only absorbed Sh20 billion for recurrent and Sh1.3 billion for development,” he said.
Mr Rotich told MPs that the Treasury did not have the opportunity to scrutinise Parliament and Judiciary budgets because the Constitution stipulates that the budgets be presented to Parliament directly.
“We ought to have gone through this budget and proposed how to finance it. We have increased the budget by Sh8 billion without any justification,” the minister said.
Mr Rotich defended the Treasury’s decision to cut the House budget to Sh24 billion, saying the decision was taken to reflect austerity measures the government had introduced.
“We effected budget cuts across the government, constitutional and independent offices, Parliament and Judiciary. But I am willing to exempt you from these austerity measures,” Mr Rotich said as he raised the budget to Sh27.3 billion only for Mr Musyimi to increase the figure by another Sh1.1 billion.
Mr Musyimi, vice chairperson Mary Emasse and Kinangop MP Stephen Mburu said Parliament’s budget cannot be reduced to below last year’s as it would affect MPs’ mandate.
Mr Mburu said Parliament was facing serious challenges arising from a reduction in last year’s budget.
“There is no toilet paper in Parliament. I have no office. I have not tested the services of a parliamentary office. I am accommodated in a filthy office out there. Parliament is having serious problems. PSC should be fully facilitated to enable us exercise our oversight role properly,” the Kinangop MP said.
Mr Musyimi demanded that Mr Rotich increases the budget, saying “we have problems that we can’t talk about due to the presence of media here.”
The committee, however, denied the PSC Sh1.3 billion to construct an East African Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training (CPST).
The PSC wanted Sh800 million to purchase a 40-acre piece of land and Sh500 million for ongoing construction of an office block. The PSC, however, got Sh150 million for land acquisition to expand the CPST.
The PSC also lost its bid to have Sh1.1 billion allocated for constituency and county offices. MPs said county offices received a 30 per cent resource increment in the last financial year and the request for an additional 30 per cent increase was unjustified.
Parliament’s budget proposals show that the bicameral house requires Sh14.6 billion to compensate its employees in the next financial year.
“The proposed recurrent ceiling is Sh21.4 billion. It is noted that the compensation to employees constitutes about 68 per cent of the total revised ceiling. It is apparently clear that the remaining 32 per cent is inadequate to execute Parliament’s mandate and implement programmes in the new financial year,” Michael Sialai, a senior deputy clerk said.
Mr Rotich defended the Treasury against accusations that it had failed to issue Exchequer releases to Parliament.
“This year, we have prioritised Parliament in Exchequer releases and I have had no problem. We had initial challenges, but things are now better, the minister said, adding that Parliament had been spared austerity measures and that the Sh27.7 billion allocated was enough.
“Should there be a shortfall in the course of implementation of the budget, we will cater for that in the supplementary budget,” Mr Rotich told MPs. The Budget and Appropriations Committee will Tuesday afternoon table its report for consideration by MPs.
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