Elders in Mandera County have asked Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to rethink their decision of rejecting the Sh1.7 billion supplementary budget.
The elders allied to Governor Ali Roba asked the MCAs to put the interests of the local community first who stand to suffer after the budget that was to be used to mitigate the effects of drought was rejected.
One of the elder, Abdullahi Issack said hundreds of families are being affected by the current drought that has hit most parts of the arid and semi-arid counties.
The decision to reject the budget has put many lives at risk in the county as most of the families affected by drought are in need of basic items for their survival, he said.
“We want the MCAs to get back together, put the interest of the locals first and approve the supplementary budget to cushion drought,”
“All clan elders are here and we have agreed with one voice and demand that MCAs rescind their decision without external interference so that funds for drought can be raised,” said elder Isaack.
Elder Isaack, a former Mandera county council chairman was speaking to journalists at the end of a consultative meeting bringing together elders from all the five communities living in Mandera County.
Governor Roba had said the supplementary budget was to mitigate drought and pay pending bills but some of the leaders including Senator Billow Kerrow said the assembly was justified in rejecting the proposed supplementary budget under the prevailing circumstances.
According to the senator, the county executive while revising the original budget, short-changed locals by removing Sh23 million for youth, women and the disabled, another Sh50 million for bursary and Sh6m for mock exams in schools.
“They should further do an intensive analysis and review of expenditure for the past nine months of this financial year to determine if the funds were used for the purposes for which they were voted,” said Kerrow.