Lands Committee Engages State Agencies on Supplementary Budget Estimates

Departmental Committee on Lands has met the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning as well as the National Land Commission (NLC) for Consideration of their Supplementary Estimates II FY 2023/24.

The Committee chaired by Hon. Joash Nyamoko (North Mugirango) also engaged the two Agencies over their Revenue and Expenditure estimates for the 2024/25 Financial Year.

Secretary for Administration in the State Department for Lands and Public Works Mr. Mohamed Maalim represented PS, Hon. Nixon Korir who is away on official duty, while the NLC Chairperson Mr. Gershom Otachi and Chief Executive Officer Ms, Kabale Tache led the Commission’ team at the meeting.

During the two separate meetings, the MPs interrogated the State Department and the Commission team on how they intended to manage their programmes under the budget cuts in light of the expected budget cuts in their estimates  for the 2024/2025 Financial Year.

The estimates for the  State Department for Lands and Physical Planning have been revised downwards from the Approved Estimates FY2023/2024 by Ksh. 733 Million.

At the meeting with the NLC team, the MPs raised concerns about the NLC’s ballooning pending Bills arising from fresh and protracted litigations.

“You need to fix the gaps in your legal department, because these comments that keep popping up out here on that front could be to blame for the budgetary cuts,” noted Hon. Nyamoko.

The Preparation and processing of the Annual Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure are anchored in Article 221 of the Constitution, Section 37 of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act 2012.

The Committee is set to retreat to draft a Report, which the Chairperson will then defend before the Budget and Appropriations Committee.