The 2017/2018 Budget is tabled at a time when first term of county government is ending andexpectations continue to be high for performance. County Government is unwavering in itscommitment to stay on course of sound fiscal management in the face of this challengingenvironment. The approach of using the expenditure ceiling as a fiscal control mechanism, asprovided in Public Finance Management Act No 18 of 2012, serves this purpose well. Toachieve the fiscal adjustment necessary, the expenditure level has been reasonably set andfurther revenue enhancement measures introduced in the 2017/18 MTEF period.Over the 2017/18- MTEF period expenditure is Ksh 13.169 billion, which will grow at anaverage annual rate of 6 per cent of the revised budget. During consultations in the budgetpreparation process trade-offs in financing different policy objectives were carefully examinedand culminated in recommendations on how policies, practices and organizational arrangementswould be adjusted in line with the national Treasury Budget Policy Statement and other keypolicy documents including County Fiscal Strategy Paper- 2017/18, County IntegratedDevelopment Plan of 2013-2017, the Annual Development Plan and the County GovernorManifesto and in a manner consistent with fiscal consolidation.For the 2017/18 MTEF period, budget has been prepared through the reprioritization of existingfunding within the expenditure ceiling, with movements away from areas of lower priority tokey priorities areas. Service intensive departments received substantial funding forcompensation of employees, owing to spending pressures related to the rising County wage bill.In the case of departments which have in the first term of devolved government spend on nondevolved government functions, the budgets for such functions have been reduced accordingly.A ceiling is put on compensation of employees budgets at 35 percent to adhere to fiscalresponsibility requirement as provided by the PFM Act of 2012. Further, development budgetexpenditure estimates is 50 percent which is higher than the minimum of 30 percent that isprovided in the PFMA 2012 and over the medium term.The financial information and key performance indicator in the County budget Estimates,provides the County Assembly and the public with the information to hold the Countygovernment of Kakamega accountable against its outcomes, set out in its medium term strategicframework.The budget process is ably managed by Executive Committee Member for finance, supportedby a devoted team of County Treasury officers and the Planning team in the planningdepartment under the office of the Deputy Governor. As the County Treasury team we are verygrateful for their guidance and hard work. We are also indebted to the department chief officers,the Budget economic Forum members and the County Assembly budget committee for makingwhat is otherwise an impossible task, seem easier. The presentation of this budget is the productof all their collective efforts.

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