Nairobi County takes public participation exercise on budget to Eastleigh

Residents of Eastleigh, Nairobi, will on Tuesday give their views on the Nairobi County budget-making process.

The public participation meeting called by county leadership will take place at the Eastleigh North Social Hall from 9.30 am.

The Eastleigh meeting is one of many public participation forums Nairobi is holding on its County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP), to help it come up with a budget based on what residents want.

Those who cannot physically attend were advised to electronically submit their views for consideration.

"Written memoranda may be submitted to Public Participation Offices on 2nd Floor, Main City Hall Building, or via email before or on February 21, 2024," a notice said.

What is a County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP)?

The CFSP is a document that is prepared every year to guide the county budget-making process.

It dissects past and present situations to inform the county budget for the next financial year.

The CFSP also provides strategic priorities and policy goals that a county government follows in preparing the budget for the next financial year and over the medium term of three to five years.

Who Prepares the CFSP?

The CFSP is prepared by the County Treasury and submitted to the County Executive Committee (CEC) in charge of Finance and Economic Planning.

Upon review, the CEC submits the CFSP to the County Assembly by February 28 each year.

The county assembly is required to make the CFSP public seven days after the submission, for public input, and approve it by March 14.

Upon approval, the CFSP can then be used by the County Treasury to prepare budget estimates.

Various groups of interest will get the opportunity to share their views on how they want public affairs managed.

For instance, the Eastleigh business community has in the past protested against an influx of hawkers.

Residents will also get the opportunity to discuss the matter of poor roads as well as persistent water shortages that have seen increased water bowser businesses and forced actions such as the closure of toilets in malls.