6.1 Budget Cycle for Subnational Governments in Kenya

206 Adrienne Shall

TABLE 6.1 Budget Cycle for Subnational Governments in Kenya

Month Activity

September Ministerial circular is issued explaining procedures for preparing the budget for the LASDP. December Appointed council representatives analyze performance ofcurrent budget. January Appointed council representatives prepare the LASDP envelop, based on previous performance plus 10 percent. Information is published in local newspapers and posted on local notice boards in all wards. Stakeholders are invited to attend ward-level participatory budget meetings at which capital projects are prioritized. Stakeholders suggest projects and agree on priority lists. February Citywide consultative meeting is held at city hall. Wards negotiate on projects with cross-border implications and agree on citywide projects. Council meets to adopt recommendations from citywide meeting. Budget is submitted to Ministry ofLocal Government and Finance Ministry. March Appointed council representatives prepare departmental budgets (capital and recurrent). April Departmental budgets are submitted to relevant committees for discussion and recommendations. May Finance Committee considers consolidated budget (LASDP and departmental budgets). June Special full council adopts budget submitted by Finance Committee. Council submits budget to Ministry ofLocal Government, with copy sent to Finance Ministry for approval.

Source: Adapted from Wamwangi 2004c. Note: LASDP = Local Authority Service Delivery Plan.

Service Delivery Plan using a participatory process that includes local residents and stakeholder groups (table 6.1).

Although citizens participate in the process,the budget is still driven by municipal officials.Citizens participate only in the prioritization ofcapital projects;they have no opportunity to provide input once the consolidated budget is produced.Furthermore,the consolidated budget presented to the council is a technical document that councillors find difficult to understand. Councillors’intervention is thus limited and generally occurs only in cases where they may derive personal benefits orpolitical mileage.

Mozambique Participation in the budget process occurs at the bairro level in Mozambique,where citizens are given an opportunity to prioritize needs within

Sub-Saharan Africa’s Experience with Participatory Budgeting 207

their communities.Preparatory research into community needs is done through a participatory planning approach.Councillors then meet with bairro development committees to set priorities.Stakeholder meetings are held to set global priorities.Community priorities are incorporated into council budgets and plans and approved by the council before the budget is sent to the Ministry ofState Administration for approval.The budget is then implemented and monitored.It is not clear from the case studies whether citizens have the opportunity to provide input into both the capital and recurrent budgets.

South Africa Mayors in South Africa are responsible for coordinating the processes for preparing the budget and for reviewing the municipality’s integrated development plan and budget-related policies.At least 10 months before the start ofthe financial year,the mayor must table in council a time schedule outlining key deadlines,including deadlines for consultative or participatory processes.Immediately after the annual budget is tabled at a municipal council meeting (at least 90 days before the start ofthe financial year),the municipality must make public the annual budget together with any supporting documentation and invite submissions to the council on the budget from the community.The council must then consider any views put forward by community representatives or any other organs ofstate and,ifnecessary, revise the budget and table amendments for consideration by the council.Each municipality may prepare its own budget process within this framework.The budget preparation process for Mangaung municipality is typical (table 6.2).

For the 2004/05 budget cycle in Mangaung,communities were asked to comment and provide input only on the capital budget.The city manager has acknowledged the need to strengthen participation and expressed his intention to solicit input on the operational as well as the capital budget.He has also agreed to provide the clusters with more information on project backlogs,service levels in different areas,trends and patterns ofexpenditure, and growth projections.

Tanzania Tanzania’s annual planning and budgeting process involves direct participation ofcitizens in grassroots meetings ofsubward and village governing councils (table 6.3).Communities rank their problems and submit project proposals to the ward development committee for discussion and approval.