The Commission appeared before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC) to consider the 2024 Budget Policy Statement (BPS).

Led by Commission Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Marjan Hussein Marjan, MBS, the Commission reported to JLAC that it presented a Kshs. 19 billion budget to the National Treasury for recurrent and development expenditure but was allocated Kshs 4.35 billion.

The Commission’s development requirement that was present for consideration to the National Treasury was Kshs 1.276 billion, but it was allocated a paltry Kshs77 million in the financial year 2023/24 to complete ongoing projects and settlement of development pending bills. Moreover, the commission was allocated Kshs24.32 in the 2024-25 financial year to implement three projects being construction of office block and warehouse in Nyandarua, Busia and Turkana counties.

With the current allocation, the Commission is unable to fully undertake its planned activities including conduct of boundaries delimitation exercise, settle pending bills and construct Uchaguzi Centre.

Marjan noted that the Commission has successfully concluded the Geo-data collection in all the 47 counties and documented administrative units for each of the gazette sub-location to ensure current boundaries reflect the true status on the ground. However, there is a continuous gazettement of the sub-locations by the Executive and the delays in carrying out the delimitation exercise may force the Commission to factor in new units when the exercise commences.

Indeed, lack of Commissioners has delayed the planned data validation and consolidation and the budget allocated to caary out the exercise has not been allocated.

“We continue to wait the reconstitution of the Commission and further guidance on the remaining activities in the boundaries delimitation, which include conduct of public hearings across the country. These activities can only be made possible through adequate funding,” said Marjan.

The CEO in addition, said the Commission was affected negatively through Supplementary Estimates 1 budget cuts. The cut by Parliament on the boundary delimitation to nil/zero allocation made the Commission suffer a budget reduction of Kshs. 53.8 million which had been incurred and spent on preparation for boundaries delimitation exercise. The CEO requested the Committee to consider and allocate the funds to cater for the expenditure already incurred.

The JLAC Chairperson, Hon. George Murugara, pledged to present the Commission’s report and requests to the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee for consideration.