The County government of Kiambu has introduced new measures to tame luxurious and unnecessary expenditure.
The unnecessary expenditure has seen the county struggle to pay employees and suppliers as well as contractors on time.
This comes in the wake of a circular dated April 1 2019.
The county treasury circular No.2 /2019 highlights austerity measures in this financial year 2018/2019 following a supplementary budget that was passed by the county assembly last month amid chaos.
Some MCAs had objected to Governor Waititu’s request to pass the budget accusing him of embezzlement and use of funds without a budget.
However, the budget was passed after the opposing ward representatives were ejected from the Assembly.
The circular signed by both the County Executive Committee Member for finance and economic planning Francis Kigo Njenga and his Chief Officer Faith Harrison has been copied to the governor and all CECMs.
It has also been copied to the county secretary and county head of public service.
“As you are all aware the supplementary budget of 2018/2019 made some readjustments and reallocations and the main ones being reduction of recurrent votes for personnel emoluments.” reads the circular in part.
Measures introduced include suspension of all foreign trips, trainings and seminars outside the county with immediate effect while domestic travel expenses must be effected with a view of reducing them.
In the notice, expenditure on airtime and catering services as well as general office supplies votes has been reviewed.
Overtime and extraneous allowances have instead been replaced by off duties.
Some top officials have been using county vehicles to run personal errands.
This saw Karungo Thangw’a’s- the youth and sports executive’s official car -recalled by the governor recently forcing him to use his personal car for about two months.
He has since been allocated another new car.
Other county employees including Waititu’s secretary -has been using her official car to attend classes in Nairobi.