State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito has defended the allocation of Ksh.1.5 billion for the refurbishment of the State House and State lodges for the financial year 2024/2025.
While presenting his budget policy statement before the National Assembly Security and Administration Committee, Ole Metito stated that renovation works for Nairobi and Nakuru State House were long overdue.
He said that a major uplift on the presidential residences was conducted a long time ago and that an extra Ksh.6.2 billion is needed to complete the refurbishment process.
“To achieve the set targets, State House requested for Ksh.16 million to fund the State House Affairs Programme in the FY 2024/25. However, the allocation at Budget Policy Statement is Ksh.9 million,” he said.
“There is therefore a likelihood that the State House may not achieve the planned targets due to the underfunding of Ksh.6 million.”
The remarks by Ole Metito come a day after Controller of Budget Dr Margaret Nyakang’o questioned how the government spent Ksh.51 billion in six months without approval from her office and the National Assembly.
Among the expenditures incurred under this provision are the renovations at State House where Ksh.700 million was accessed for the construction of a modern presidential dais.
In July, Ksh.400 million was allocated to State House for the purchase of motor vehicles.
