Big spenders: MCAs earn billions in monthly sitting allowances

County assemblies across the 47 counties went big on MCAs' sitting allowances, spending Sh1.09 billion in the first nine months of FY 2023-24, a notable increase from the Sh716.57 million spent the year before.

This marks a 43 per cent jump compared to the previous financial year's expenditures."The County Assemblies spent Sh1.09 billion on MCA's sitting allowances against an approved budget allocation of Sh2 billion during the reporting period. This expenditure translated to 54.4 per cent of the approved MCAs sitting allowance budget," reads the report in part.

MCAs in Baringo and Embu earned the highest monthly allowances of Sh162,843 and Sh145,827, respectively, while Turkana and Mandera received the lowest amounts of Sh19,667 and Sh20,664.

The Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang'o, emphasised this in the first nine months of the 2023-24 budget implementation review report.

All 45 Baringo MCAs earned the highest amount as legislators earned an average monthly sitting allowance of Sh162,843. The County was allocated Sh89 million sitting allowances in the budget and spent Sh65 million from it.

Embu followed with Sh145,827 as an average monthly sitting allowance for 31 MCAs, where the county was allocated Sh86.4 million for sitting allowance in its budget and spent Sh40.68 million.

Kakamega county which has 88 MCAs has its average monthly sitting allowance for each legislature at Sh100,282 where the county was allocated Sh131.6 million but spent Sh79.42 million.

Machakos followed with 61 MCAs each earning an average monthly sitting allowance of Sh87, 651 where the county was allocated Sh43 million for sitting allowance in its budget and spent Sh48.1 million.

Elgeyo Marakwet with Sh72, 020 as an average monthly sitting allowance for each of the 33 MCAs, where the county was allocated Sh29 million for sitting allowance in its budget and spent Sh21.4 million.

124 Nairobi MCAs were allocated Sh84 million allowances in their budget but used Sh34 million, translating to 41 per cent. Each MCA earned Sh31,247.

Turkana MCAs received the lowest allowances with each of the 48 MCAs earning Sh19,667 where the county was allocated Sh44.9 million for sitting allowance in its budget and spent Sh8.4 million.

Machakos followed with 51 MCAs each earned an average monthly sitting allowance of Sh20,664 where the county was allocated Sh32 million for sitting allowance in its budget and spent Sh9.4 million

61 Kitui MCAs were allocated Sh23 million allowances in their budget but used Sh11.6 million. Each MCA earned Sh21,226.

36 Nyamira MCAs were allocated Sh12.3 million allowances in their budget but used Sh7 million. Each MCA earned Sh21,717.

Tana River paid Sh29,409 as an average monthly sitting allowance for each of the 27 MCAs, where the county was allocated Sh8.4 million for sitting allowance in its budget and spent Sh7.1 million.

The report comes amid calls by the Kenyan youth for the Kenya Kwanza Administration to cut down on costs and the funds to be allocated to critical areas.