By Fredrick Kioko
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti has declared her readiness to engage Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) in dialogue to resolve the ongoing stalemate over the county’s 2026/2027 budget, warning that the impasse is crippling the delivery of essential services to residents.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, a day after the County Assembly authorised the withdrawal of 50 per cent of the proposed Sh17 billion budget, Wavinya said the prolonged delay in passing the budget was hurting innocent residents who depend on county services.
The governor said she would personally convene talks with the MCAs in an effort to break the deadlock, insisting that the interests of Machakos residents should take precedence over political differences.
«“As your leader, I have decided I will convene a dialogue so that we address this matter because Machakos is bigger than all of us. I will not grow tired of engaging you. It is bad for Machakos residents to suffer because of you,” said Wavinya.»
Wavinya accused members of the County Assembly’s Budget and House Business committees, together with MCAs allied to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), of frustrating her administration’s development agenda.
She alleged that external political forces were influencing some legislators to oppose her government’s budget proposals, which she said had been formulated based on the needs and priorities identified by Machakos residents.
“I have always engaged the county assembly leadership on various matters and agreed upon issues. All I need them to do is to be sincere and truthful,” she said.
The governor also rejected claims made by some MCAs during Tuesday’s proceedings that departments such as Water had been allocated zero funds in the proposed budget.
She further disputed claims that the county’s pending bills as of June 30, 2026, stood at Sh7.5 billion.
According to Wavinya, the actual pending bills amounted to Sh4.6 billion, including Sh1.6 billion in staff salaries for April, May and June 2026. She attributed the salary arrears to the failure by the County Assembly to approve the supplementary budget.
She said Sh858 million had been budgeted for pending bills in the 2026/2027 financial year, contrary to the Sh270 million figure cited during the assembly debate.
“The outstanding pending bills will be settled through a first charge arrangement,” she said.
Wavinya further accused the Assembly’s Budget Committee of making amendments to her budget proposals that, in her view, interfered with existing legal and contractual obligations of the county executive.
She described the alleged amendments as an attempt to weaponise the budget-making process against residents who elected both the executive and the legislature.
“To weaponize the budget process against the very citizens who elected you is not only an abdication of legislative duty but also a reckless betrayal of public trust,” Wavinya said.
The governor warned that continued wrangling between the two arms of the county government would only deepen the suffering of residents by delaying critical programmes and services.
Her remarks come as the county grapples with a budget impasse that has already forced the Assembly to approve access to half of the proposed Sh17 billion budget to keep county operations running.
Wavinya maintained that she was prepared to continue engaging the MCAs until a solution was found, stressing that Machakos residents should not bear the cost of political disagreements among their elected leaders.
