Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong’s dreams of transforming his Busia County on Wednesday received a major boost after County Assembly unanimously passed the County Budget Estimates for the financial year 2018-2019 in a record time of two hours.
The Sh7.1billion budget was tabled by the Ad hoc Budget committee.
Health and Sanitation took the lion’s share in the Sh7.1billion County budget estimates for the financial year 2018/2019 The department has been allocated Sh1.6b comprising Sh1.38b for recurrent expenditures and 241m for capital expenditures. This is 26% of the total budget.
On infrastructure development, the County Government has allocated Sh111 million to go towards upgrading roads to bitumen standards. This is in addition to the unutilized amount of Sh244m.
Others include allocations Sh15m Cooperative Enterprise Development Fund, Sh6m (trade revolving fund), Sh16m and Sh5m for the revival of Mulwanda and Jairos ginneries, and Sh3m for Marenga fish filleting plant.
In Agriculture, a new fund of Sh5m was introduced to support rice farming, Sh10m to go towards the enhancement of inland fish aqua parks development projects in landlocked sub-counties and Sh47m on Kenya Devolution Support Programme.
Late last year, Ojaamong’ played host to Deputy President William Ruto at his Okilidu home in Teso South Sub-County, Busia County. He later led a delegation of Teso leaders who included Teso North Mp Oku Kaunya and Teso South Mp Geoffrey Omuse to a courtesy visit to the Deputy President William Ruto at his Sugoi residence in Uasin Gishu County.
This was viewed by many analysts as a strategy by the ODM governor to slowly shift his loyalty from the party leader Raila Odinga to William Ruto claims that were later turned down by the governor. Ojamoong is currently serving his last term as Busia governor.