Busia County Assembly under fire over sharp wage bill increase despite no new hires
The Senate committee, chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, demanded answers from the Assembly on the basis of the sharp rise in employee compensation.
Busia County Assembly is under scrutiny after revelations that its wage bill rose sharply from Sh252 million in 2023-24 to Sh358 million in 2024-25, raising questions over the justification for the increase despite no new hires.
The Senate County Public Accounts Committee is also probing why the Assembly has 11 drivers for only two vehicles, while lacking critical staff such as researchers and legal advisors necessary for effective legislative functions.
More To Read
- Senate uncovers severe neglect, mismanagement at Busia County Referral Hospital
- Senators call for urgent upgrade of Busia Border post to boost trade, ease traffic
- Senators question Busia’s Sh4.9 million consultancy for already classified hospital
- Senate flags poor working conditions, staff shortage at Busia One Stop Border Post
- Audit finds Sh53 million intended for farmers misused by Busia County staff
In a session, the Senate committee, chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, demanded answers from the Assembly on the basis of the sharp rise in employee compensation.
“Why did your employee compensation rise from Sh252 million to Sh358 million, yet you did not hire any new employees? What was the justification of this sharp increase?” he posed.
Assembly acting Clerk Gabriel Erambo explained that the increase was due to the payment of pending pensions to staff. However, the committee raised concerns over Erambo’s appointment, noting that the Assembly already has a substantive deputy clerk.
“You have a substantive deputy clerk earning a salary with all the benefits when the clerk is not there. Why can’t the deputy clerk act, because that is the essence of deputising?” Kajwang pressed.
Assembly Speaker Frederick Wafula Odilo defended Erambo’s appointment, citing his experience in financial matters and referencing previous Senate recommendations.
“Chair, we did not fish from somewhere else. In terms of seniority in the establishment, he is more senior with more years. I remember your resolution when we met last in Nairobi, you were very categorical, that we needed somebody with an accounting background to be a clerk,” Odilo said.
Erambo added that he was appointed acting clerk eight months ago after the substantive clerk went to court following his suspension.
“I was appointed to act as a clerk because the substantive clerk went to court. There is a case between him and the service board,” he explained.
Kajwang demanded to see the court order, questioning whether appointments and dismissals were being influenced by approval of travel or salary requests.
The Senate also raised alarm over Busia County’s rising pending bills, which have surged to Sh2.6 billion, up by Sh1.12 billion in one year. Governor Paul Otuoma was questioned over poor performance in own-source revenue (OSR) collection, despite the county having an estimated potential of Sh1.8 billion.
Committee vice chair Tabitha Mutinda highlighted alleged discrepancies and possible fraud, noting that the county requisitioned Sh683 million from the Controller of Budget for pending bills but only disbursed Sh432 million.
“Is this not fraud?” she posed.
Chief Finance Officer Gibson Wafula said he had planned to file an addendum to reconcile the figures, but legislators rejected his explanation, pointing out the delay of four months after the financial year ended.
The committee also discovered fictitious suppliers in county financial records.
In one instance, a supplier listed as the “Commission of Income Tax” allegedly supplied furniture worth Sh2 million.
“How possible is it for the Commission of Income Tax to supply furniture to Busia County?” Senator Okiya Omtatah posed.
Wafula admitted the commission could not have supplied the items and suggested a possible data entry error.
The committee expressed shock that the county has failed to clear long-overdue bills, some as low as Sh67,000, dating back to 2014. Mutinda said the failure has led to the collapse of several local businesses. An analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) revealed that pending bills increased from Sh150 million in 2021/22 to Sh2.6 billion currently, citing poor budgeting practices and weak expenditure controls. The county’s debt rose by Sh1.12 billion in the last financial year, compared to Sh685.9 million the previous year.
Governor Otuoma, acknowledging the figures, said his administration had frozen all new development projects until the debt is cleared.
“My county executive will dedicate 30 per cent of the current budget to pending bills, amounting to Sh781 million. An additional Sh520 million will be factored in through a supplementary budget. This totals an expected reduction of Sh1.3 billion in the current year,” he said.
The Senate also expressed concern over the deplorable state of Malaba town despite generating billions in revenue. Malaba, which hosts the One Stop Border Post (OSBP), submitted Sh8.1 billion to the National Treasury in 2024/25, surpassing its revenue target by 142 per cent. However, the town lacks public sanitation facilities and key infrastructure.
“Do you know that despite the billions of shillings collected as revenue and submitted to the National Treasury in Malaba Town every year, there are no sanitation facilities inside or outside this facility?” Senator Omtatah posed.
Kwale Senator Issa Juma Boy also flagged a stalled road project since 2021, promising to summon the county administration to explain the delay.
The revelations point to systemic mismanagement of resources in Busia County, with legislators warning that urgent corrective measures are needed to protect taxpayers’ money and ensure that development projects proceed effectively.
Top Stories Today
