Today, the Chief Executive Officer, NEPAD/APRM Kenya Secretariat, Amb. Dr. Samori Okwiya, with other heads of parastatals under the State Department for Planning, accompanied the Economic Planning Secretary, Ms. Katherine Muoki in a meeting with the Parliamentary Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning to consider the budget estimates for the financial year 2022/23.

Ms. Katherine Muoko, Economic Planning Secretary State Department for planning (Fourth from Right), Amb. Dr Samori Okwiya, Chief Executive Officer, NEPAD/APRM Kenya Secretariat (Third From Right), Mr. Ezekiel Manyara, Ag. Director, Corporate Service, NEPAD/APRM Kenya Secretariat together with other heads of parastatals under the State Department for Planning

Ms. Muoki represented the Principal Secretary, Mr. Saitoti Torome who was out of the country on official duty. The State Department for Planning falls under the Public Administration and International Relations (PAIR) Sector working group and cuts across the entire government focusing on the provision of overall policy direction on matters pertaining to planning and development. The team included, Mr. Yusuf Mbuno, Chief Executive, National Government Constituencies Development Fund, Mr. Macdonald Obudho, Director General Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Mr. Kenneth Mwige, Director-General Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat, Dr. Mohamed Sheikh, Director General, National Council for Population and Development, Dr. Vincent Nyagilo, Secretary, National Economic and Social Council, Mr. Aloyce Ratemo, Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Silas Muyela, PAIR Sector convener, Mr. Waweru Kamau, Director, Social and Governance, Mr. Benson Kimani, Director, Economic Development and Coordination, Ms. Mary Kemunto, Director, Human Resource Management and Development, Mr. James Maina, Director, Macro and International Relations, Mr. John Munywoki, Senior Chief Finance Officer, Mr. Ted Bett, representing Executive Director, Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA).

The team was supported by senior technical officers from the State Department and its parastatals to provide clarifications where applicable. Amb. Dr. Samori Okwiya was accompanied by Mr. Ezekiel Manyara, Ag. Director, Corporate Services, and Ms. Caroline Ndwiga, Finance Officer.

The Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning is established under Standing Order 216 and mandated to inter alia, investigate into, inquire into and report on all matters relating to the mandate, management activities, administration, operations, and estimates of the assigned Ministries and Departments.

Following the tabling of the Budget Estimates for the Fiscal Year 2022/23 in the House on Thursday, 7th April 2022, the said Estimates were committed to the relevant Departmental Committees pursuant to Section 39(2) of the Public Finance Management Act 2012 as read with the Standing order 235(4) of the National Standing Orders, for scrutiny. The Committees are required to consider the Estimates for the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs)/ Commissions under their purview and report to the Budget and Appropriations Committee within twenty-one (21) days of committal.

The State Department for Planning together with parastatals presented their submission to the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, chaired by Hon. Gladys Wanga, Member of Parliament for Homabay at Serena Beach Resort and Spa.

The Committee interrogated the submission and promised to facilitate the State Department for planning with appropriate resource allocation to ensure the planning function within and across government achieves the intended outcomes.