Governor Wavinya Ndeti addresses the press at the Machakos County Assembly on August 31, 2026.Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti has declined to sign the county’s Sh17.8 billion budget into law, setting up a fresh showdown with the County Assembly.
Wavinya has accused MCAs of unlawfully altering spending plans and diverting nearly Sh854 million from critical public services.
In a dramatic move on Monday, Ndeti returned the Machakos County Appropriation Bill, 2026, to the Assembly for reconsideration, warning that the changes made by legislators violate public finance laws and could cripple essential county services.
Speaking at the County Assembly, the governor said a review of the Bill passed on August 18 revealed alterations amounting to Sh853.96 million, despite the Executive having submitted a balanced budget aligned with the 2026 County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP).
At the centre of the dispute are deep cuts to programmes that the county government says are critical to service delivery and economic growth.
Machakos County Secretary presents documents to staffers at the Machakos County Assembly on August 31, 2026.
The Assembly also reduced funding for the Wikwatyo Fund and women and youth empowerment programmes from Sh274 million to Sh74 million, cut Sh30 million from bursaries and reduced funding for several road projects that are already under contract.
Ndeti argued that the changes were not only unlawful but also posed serious risks to county operations and public welfare.
“I cannot in good conscience sign into law a legislation that openly violates statutory limits, dismantles essential public services and directly imperils the lives of our people,” she said.
The governor cited Regulation 37(1) of the Public Finance Management (County Governments) Regulations, 2015, which bars county assemblies from increasing or reducing a vote ceiling by more than one per cent.
She further accused the Assembly of increasing its own development budget by Sh130 million beyond the ceiling provided in the County Fiscal Strategy Paper, contrary to the Public Finance Management Act.
Ndeti warned that removing funding for garbage collection could expose residents to disease outbreaks such as cholera and typhoid, particularly in rapidly growing urban centres including Mlolongo, Athi River and Machakos Town.
She also expressed concern over the decision to slash funding for the Revenue Management System, saying the platform had helped boost the county’s own-source revenue from Sh1.55 billion in the 2023/24 financial year to Sh3.35 billion in 2025/26.
According to the governor, defunding the system could undermine the county’s target of raising Sh4.93 billion in own-source revenue during the 2026/27 financial year.
Ndeti further cautioned that reducing funding for road projects that are already under contract could expose the county government to costly legal battles and breach-of-contract claims.
She described the cuts to youth programmes, empowerment funds and bursaries as “a direct assault on the youth”, arguing that they would disproportionately affect young people seeking opportunities through county initiatives.
The governor has now formally referred the Bill back to the Assembly under Section 24(2)(b) of the County Governments Act, requiring MCAs to reconsider the disputed provisions.
Should the Assembly reject her recommendations and seek to pass the Bill in its current form, it will require a two-thirds majority vote.
Ndeti warned that legislators who choose to proceed without addressing the concerns raised could bear personal responsibility for any losses or illegal expenditure arising from the budget.
The standoff sets the stage for a high-stakes battle between the Executive and the Assembly, with billions of shillings in county spending hanging in the balance.
