The Senate County Public Accounts Committee has brought to light concerns regarding stalled projects and unpaid legal fees totalling Sh3 billion during Dr Alfred Mutua’s time as Machakos Governor.
These revelations have placed the previous Machakos Governor’s administration in a challenging situation as it failed to clear external legal fees, even though they had a county legal office at their disposal.
The critical issue at hand is the pending bills, which amount to Sh3.09 billion. This substantial sum includes legal fees and other related expenses, reaching Sh1.14 billion, accounting for 37 per cent of the total bills related to ongoing court cases.
The Auditor General’s report emphasizes that the failure to settle these bills has not only distorted the financial statements but has also had a detrimental effect on the budgetary provisions for the following year, as these bills hold a primary position in the financial hierarchy.
The Chairman of the Senate County Public Accounts Committee, Senator Moses Kajwang from Homa Bay, expressed his concerns, stating, “Machakos county is at risk of incurring significant interest costs and penalties with the continued delay in payment of pending bills, it is upon the administration to work towards ensuring that they cleared, otherwise they might attract legal suits derailing the performance of the county.”
Troubling facts
The Auditor General’s report has unveiled a series of troubling facts. For instance, the county government awarded a Sh400 million contract in 2018 to construct a 12-story building.
This project was intended to be completed in 58 weeks, yet during a site visit in October 2022, it was discovered that the project had been terminated at the foundation level after the contractor received Sh80.5 million in payments.
The Senate has also raised questions about other stalled projects, including the design and construction of Mavoko Stadium, Kinyui Stadium, Ikombe Stadium, Masii Stadium, Mumbuni Earth Dam, a commercial development centre, a 12-story building, and a community recreation centre. These projects accumulated a significant cost of Sh837.6 million.
The Auditor General’s report pointed out that the Machakos County government has not achieved value for the money spent on all these abandoned projects.
Current Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti appeared before the Senate committee and pledged to address these issues. She stated that her administration is working on clearing the pending bills, prioritising the long-standing debt of Sh967 million owed to suppliers.
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