The Office of the Controller of Budget was established under Article 228 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 to oversee and report on implementation of the budgets of both the national and county governments to each House of Parliament every four months. The Office is also mandated, under Section 39(8) of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 and Article 35 of the Constitution to ensure that the public has access to this information.

Pursuant to this mandate, the Office held a Public Participation Forum in Machakos County that drew participants from Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Nairobi and Kajiado Counties. The objective of the Forum was to:

  • Explain the mandate of the Office of the Controller of Budget,
  • Sensitize the public on their role in the budget cycle,
  • Encourage public participation in monitoring budget execution through Social Accountability Audits
  • Provide an overview of budget performance of the participating counties

The participants held an interactive discussion with the OCOB staff where they were sensitized on their role in budget making process and implementation at the county level. The participants also had time to ask questions and seek clarifications on budget issues affecting their respective counties.