County releases Sh1.2 billion to settle old debts

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui at his office on June 8, 2018. [Kennedy Gachuhi/Standard]

The county has released Sh1.2 billion to pay debts owed to contractors and suppliers.

This was welcomed by hundreds of contractors and suppliers, some of whom have been waiting for payment for the past five years.

Governor Lee Kinyanjui had stopped payment of debts amounting to Sh3 billion to allow his administration to conduct an audit of goods and services supplied to ensure the county received value for money.

The audit ended three months ago and an interim audit report cleared Sh722 million of the Sh3 billion for payment.

Mr Kinyanjui told The Standard yesterday that other pending bills amounting to Sh400 million still required proper documentation, including certificate of completion of works or proof of supply of goods and services.

“We have released Sh1.2 billion to suppliers who completed the requirements. Those whose documents are still not in order shall be paid as soon as they provide the necessary documentation,” he said.

Special committee

Governor Kinyanjui said his administration was committed to paying suppliers who followed procurement procedures and delivered on time.

“I have set up a special committee that will oversee implementation of projects and verify documentation before making prompt payments. All we want is for wananchi to get value for money,” he said.

The chairman of the South Rift Contractors Association, Bernard Mutahi, said there were still pending bills amounting to Sh1 billion that the governor needed to expedite.

“The payment is a big relief for most of our members who had been incapacitated by unpaid bills even after performing the assigned work. Some took bank loans and have since had their businesses auctioned while others have been blacklisted by credit reference bureaus,” said Mr Mutahi.