Assembly committee wants payment of contractors probed

Members of the county assembly want the anti-graft agency to investigate the Executive over how money was paid for a project yet no works were done.

A report by the Public Accounts and Investment Committee showed that Sh21 million was irregularly paid for the supervision and construction of the county headquarters.

This was despite concerns about unclear land ownership documents and missing contract documents between the construction company and the county government.

“The committee recommends that all payments made to contractors before completion of works, and without proper documentation as required by law, be investigated by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC),” reads part of the 70-page report.

The report, which was tabled by committee chair William Kinyanyi, also revealed that the county government snubbed the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and went ahead to buy Sh86.6 million worth of maize from two private sellers.

“The Executive failed to prove that NCPB could not supply the required quantities that would have warranted the choice of private suppliers. It is worth noting that this was done despite NCPB's offer of a subsidised price of Sh1,670 per bag.”

According to the Auditor General’s report for the 2016/2017 financial year, the county government failed to fully comply with the Public Procurement and Disposal Act.

The MCAs also took issue with the expenditures on irrigation schemes and the value for public funds spent so far on the stalled projects.

The committee also called on EACC to investigate the suspected loss of Sh29.6 million following the contentious purchase of two fire engines.

In their report, the members said one fire engine was a donation by the national government while only the second one had been bought.