Machakos County residents have been told to be vigilant and demand engagement in the county budgeting process whenever it was underway.
Speaking at a forum in Athi River town on Wednesday, James Mwasia, Public Finance Management Consultant said it was high time leadership of all the 47 counties respected provisions in the Kenyan Constitution.
Mwasia said public participation was a constitutional provision and requirement, hence need for consultations and full engagement of members of the public whenever the county government was working on a project to implement in the community.
He said that would ensure that mis-prioritised imposed projects to communities by the governments came to a halt as the residents made choices on what projects they wanted depending on gaps and need within their respective communities.
The consultant said that it was embarrassing that most residents inclusive of county reporters from various regions across the nation had never seen their county budgets.
He advised that all county budgets be made public and available for members of the public to access and criticize to make the process generation of future budgets be transparent and participatory.
Mwasia however called on the residents to support their county governments and help identify most vital projects whenever consulted to help their county government achieve its objectives of improving livelihoods of common wananchi, what devolution was meant for.