Parliamentary Committee On Tourism And Wildlife Wraps Up Budget Monitoring Meetings With MDAs Amidst Revenue Challenges
The committee during the Friday session
By PSCU
The Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife, in a session chaired by Vice Chairperson John Wanjiku concluded its series of meetings with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, state departments, and agencies, to review budget implementation for the 2022/2023 fiscal year.
The last to appear was Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), tasked with conserving and managing wildlife in Kenya, alongside enforcing related laws, discussed their mandate which includes wildlife security, park management, human-wildlife conflict resolution, tourism product management, conservation education, and community engagement.
In their presentation at Pride Inn Paradise Hotel in Mombasa, before the Kareke Mbiuki led committee, KWS Director General Erustus Kanga said that in the fiscal year 2022/2023, KWS received a total allocation of KSh5.58 Billion, with KSh5 Billion for recurrent expenses and KSh580 million for development projects.
The initial recurrent budget was insufficient to cover salaries and operations, but increased revenue from tourism allowed for adjustments in Appropriation In Aid (AIA).
However, the development budget faced cuts in Supplementary Budget 1, and the remaining exchequer was not released by the end of the fiscal year, impacting planned projects.
Mr. Kanga pointed out that the Recurrent funding, comprising AIA and government grants, saw adjustments through Supplementary I and II, providing necessary finances for operations, including a KSh65 million government support for fire management.
He said that Development projects, funded by the government and donors, experienced delays and budget reductions, affecting infrastructure and equipment acquisition.
Additionally, the DG said that they received KSh94.7 million from carbon credits under the REDD+ program for conserving Chyullu and Tsavo ecosystems, supporting various initiatives such as fire management, ranger housing, water pans, and gate construction.
As the meeting concluded, the Vice Chairperson commended the KWS team, led by Mr. Kanga, for their organization, performance, and increased revenue collection, stating, “I want to take this opportunity as we conclude our meeting to congratulate you for doing a good job and even increasing your revenue collection.”
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