- Wavinya has returned Machakos’ 2026/27 Budget to the Assembly.
- The move follows a tense dispute over receiving the documents.
- She says Ksh853.96 million was wrongly shifted from key programmes.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti returned the county’s 2026/2027 Budget to the County Assembly on Monday, after a dispute over the Assembly clerk’s refusal to receive the referral documents.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti on Monday stormed the County Assembly protesting the refusal by the Assembly clerk to receive the vellum and a memorandum returning the contentious 2026/2027 Budget to the Assembly.
Accompanied by officials from the Department of Finance and journalists, Governor Wavinya entered the Assembly premises at 4pm and proceeded to the clerk’s office where she demanded to know why the clerk had failed to receive the documents on two previous occasions.
A tense handover
The Governor said she had sent the Finance Director – Budget to deliver the documents on Friday and again on Monday morning but the clerk had not received them.
“You are the Clerk, it is only fair that you receive the documents and allow the Assembly to make the decision instead of gatekeeping,” a furious Governor Wavinya told the Clerk.
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The Clerk tried to explain that the Director of Budget had brought the documents a few minutes past 5pm on Friday but was overruled by the Governor, who reminded him that the Assembly had played the same tricks on the issue of the Supplementary Budget.
“Just receive and stamp the documents and let the Assembly make their decision,” said Governor Wavinya.
She later addressed a crowd of people who had gathered outside the Assembly gates and explained why she had returned the budget.
Why the Bill was referred back
In a detailed press statement on the referral of the Machakos County Appropriation Bill, 2026, Governor Wavinya said she had officially referred the Bill back to the Assembly for reconsideration under Section 24(2)(b) of the County Governments Act, 2012.
“This decision was not made lightly. However, as the custodian of executive authority in this county, I cannot in good conscience sign into law a legislation that openly violates statutory limits, dismantles essential public services, undermines our financial foundation, and directly imperils the lives and livelihoods of our people,” she said.
She noted that the County Assembly passed the Bill on August 18, 2026, and it was presented for assent on August 21, 2026.
According to the Governor, the Executive had submitted a balanced Budget Estimates for 2026/2027 totalling Ksh 17.797 billion, as informed by ceilings in the 2026 County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP).
Instead, the Assembly drastically altered items totalling Ksh 853.96 million, stripping funds from binding contracts, essential services and welfare programmes.
Key deductions made by the Assembly
- Sports – Governors Cup: Reduced by Ksh 40 million from Ksh 50.6 million to Ksh 10.6 million
- Education – Bursaries: Reduced by Ksh 30 million from Ksh 121.7 million to Ksh 91.7 million
- Machakos Youth Service: Entire Ksh 175,862,770 wiped to zero
- Lands – Municipalities (Machakos, Mavoko and Kangundo-Tala): Entire Ksh 78.3 million wiped to zero
- County Administration – Sub-County Offices: Reduced by Ksh 97 million from Ksh 112.7 million to Ksh 15.7 million
- Public Communication: Reduced by Ksh 40.5 million
- Revenue – Revenue Management: Entire Ksh 126,895,321 wiped to zero
- Gender – Wikwatyo Fund: Reduced by Ksh 100 million from Ksh 137 million to Ksh 37 million
- Gender – Empowerment of Women, Youth and Special Groups: Reduced by Ksh 100 million from Ksh 137 million to Ksh 37 million
- Roads – Major Roads: Reduced by Ksh 65.38 million from Ksh 396.6 million to Ksh 331.2 million
Governor Wavinya said the Assembly violated Regulation 37(1) of the Public Finance Management (County Governments) Regulations, 2015, which provides that any increase or reduction must not exceed 1% of that vote’s approved ceiling.
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She accused the Assembly of increasing its own development budget by Ksh 130 million above the CFSP ceiling, extracting funds from executive programmes in violation of Section 129 of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, 2012.
Five reasons for rejecting the amendments
The Governor gave five reasons for rejecting the amendments made by the County Assembly. First, the Roads cuts threaten infrastructure.
The allocation was for ongoing tarmacking of Katangi-Kithimani Road, Mlolongo Phase 3–Gossip Road, and Lita-Miti Muonza Road. Slashing Ksh 65.38 million forces work to stall, exposes the county to breach-of-contract lawsuits and wastes taxpayers’ money.
In addition, solid waste management has been gutted. The Assembly eliminated the entire Ksh 78.32 million for garbage collection in Machakos, Mavoko and Kangundo-Tala municipalities, redirecting it to allowances, conferences and fuel.
As a result, this poses a risk of cholera, typhoid and water contamination, violating Articles 42 and 43 of the Constitution, despite residents paying refuse fees at 135% of target.
Furthermore, the revenue system stands sabotaged. Deleting Ksh 126.9 million for the Integrated County Revenue Management System threatens county financing. Governor Wavinya said Own Source Revenue rose from Ksh 1.55 billion in FY 2023/24 to Ksh 2.18 billion in 2024/25 and Ksh 3.352 billion in 2025/26 after the system’s deployment, and the 2026/27 budget relies on a Ksh 4.93 billion OSR target.
Meanwhile, vulnerable groups have been left out in the cold. The Assembly slashed Ksh 230 million from social safety nets, including the Wikwatyo Fund, the Women/Youth Fund and bursaries. Consequently, stripping Ksh 30 million from bursaries sends needy children home, she said, violating Article 201(b)(i) on protection of marginalised groups.
Finally, sub-county administration faces a near shutdown. The Assembly cut each sub-county’s budget by Ksh 9.67 million, leaving eight sub-counties with barely Ksh 565,048 each for the entire year — roughly Ksh 47,000 per month — thereby making supervision of health centres and public participation impossible.
She termed the cumulative effect an “Assault on the Youth,” noting the Machakos Youth Service, created under the Machakos Youth Empowerment Act, 2022, to deliver vocational skills and employment, was wiped out line by line.
Governor Wavinya warned that any public officer or MCA who votes to maintain the variances will assume personal legal liability under PFM laws.
She called on the leadership and members of the County Assembly to reconsider the Bill and pass a budget that serves all residents of Machakos.
“I cannot in good conscience sign into law a legislation that openly violates statutory limits,” she concluded.
By Stephen Muthini
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