Another blow for Waititu as court permanently bar him from implementing Sh 16.5bn budget

Kiambu County governor Ferdinand Waititu has been facing ups and downs over the recent past, the most recent being the controversial budget for 2017/2018 financial year.

While appearing before the senate committee, it emerged that the county chief had allocated funds for non-devolved units in the budget.

He had allocated money for state house functions and South Sudan peace.

However, some political leaders including Deputy President Dr William Ruto have come out to defend Waititu. The latest to defend him is Nakuru senator Susan Kihika.

But is this the only problem facing Waititu? The High Court has permanently stopped him from implementing a Sh16.5 billion supplementary budget for this year.   

Justice James Makau declared that the Kiambu county assembly abdicated its duties by failing to procedurally deal with the budget of 2018-2019. 

“I hereby issue orders prohibiting the respondents from implementing Kiambu Appropriation Bill No 3 of 2019. Accordingly, I allow the petition and order the county government and the Controller of Budget to pay the cost ,” the judge ruled.

Justice Makau said procedures were not followed when the budget was approved. 

The judge also restrained the Controller of Budget from approving or overseeing implementation of the supplementary budget.    

Makau further annulled a gazette notice dated  March 25, 2019 on the supplementary budget. The estimates were gazetted immediately they were controversially passed in a session in which blows were exchanged at the county assembly. 

The orders were issued after 10 Kiambu MCAs filed a constitutional petition challenging the Sh1.6 billion supplementary budget for 2019.  

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