Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi has been elected as the new chairperson of National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee, succeeding Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.
This leadership change follows the recent broad-based government framework agreement between President William Ruto and ODM Party leader Raila Odinga.
Nyoro, who had chaired the committee since November 2022, was removed from the position following a motion by Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro on Wednesday, March 5.
Nyandarua Senator Methu Muhia had on Monday, March 10, revealed that Atandi was poised to take over the chairmanship as part of a broad-based government framework.
Speaking in an interview, Methu stated that the election would merely 'rubber-stamp' an already agreed-upon decision.
Read More
"As a team, in terms of making the broad-based arrangement work, we have settled on Sam Atandi to be the chairman of this particular committee,” he said.
Atandi's election comes a day after Minority Leader Junet Mohammed and Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah accused Nyoro of leveraging his position to disproportionately allocate resources to his Kiharu constituency.
Junet claimed that Nyoro’s leadership saw funds balloon from Ksh2 billion to Ksh12 billion during public participation exercises, with the benefits skewed toward a select few rather than the broader Kenyan public.
"The Budget Committee went around the country, telling people they had allocated Ksh2 billion for public participation. Then suddenly, that figure jumped to Ksh12 billion. And who benefited? Not the counties that were promised—No! The money ended up in the pockets of a select few.
"Let’s be honest. Which MP here can build castles with their CDF funds? These things are happening because some people have access to ‘bigger money’—money that does not belong to them but to Kenyans. And they are stealing it in broad daylight," he said.
On his part, Ichung'wah accused members of the dissolved committee of pocketing public funds, warned that the next committee must uphold fairness and equity.
"This House will not sit back and allow a handful of MPs to allocate money only to their constituencies while the rest of the country is left begging for crumbs. We were not sent here to enrich ourselves—we were sent here to serve Kenyans fairly.
"I want to send a clear warning. Any MP who joins that committee thinking they will continue these bad manners should think again. We will not allow Parliament to be turned into a marketplace for looters," he said.
The Budget and Appropriations Committee is a standing committee within the National Assembly tasked with investigating, inquiring into and reporting on all matters related to the coordination, control and monitoring of the national budget.
It examines the Budget Policy Statement to ensure alignment with national priorities.
Additionally, the committee reviews bills related to the national budget, specifically the Appropriations Bill, the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, the Division of Revenue Bill and the County Allocation of Revenue Bill.
