Vihiga governor grilled over Sh5m for house party

Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo before  Senate's County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) at Bunge Towers,Parliament,Nairobi on January 26,2026. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Vihiga Governor Wilberforce Ottichilo has been put on the spot by the Senate over the accumulation of Sh1.7 billion in pending bills and the use of Sh5 million on a housewarming party for the official residence of the County Assembly Speaker.

Appearing before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, Governor Ottichilo was at pains to justify the expenditure, especially at a time when the county was facing serious financial constraints. Senators were further alarmed by his admission that the County Executive had advanced the funds to the County Assembly as a loan despite the strained finances.

Senator Kajwang described the expenditure as “immoral and unjustified,” noting that Vihiga’s pending bills had risen to Sh1.7 billion as of June 30, 2025. He directed the Governor to take administrative action against officers who unlawfully authorised the release of the funds and to consider recovering the money.

The Senate also reviewed audit queries on stalled projects. An Auditor-General’s report showed that a Sh395 million Hospital Plaza project at Vihiga County Referral Hospital was only 56 per cent complete despite the contract expiring in May 2024, with no evidence of renewal.

Additionally, auditors found that 89 per cent of funds for a Sh58.7 million revenue automation system had been paid, yet key deliverables, including system integration, training and security installation, remained incomplete.

Review of procurement and payment records revealed that the County Executive had made payments to a vendor to the level of 89% of the contract sum of Sh58.7 million for the supply of a Revenue Automation System.

However, review of the Revenue Collection Management System records and documents revealed that key deliverables such as full system automation, system handover, integration with other County systems such as the IFMIS, HRIS, HMIS, GIS, G-PAY), training of end-users and security configuration such as firewall installation, remain incomplete.

The Committee was shocked by the admission by Otichilo that the county executive had loaned the funds to the County Assembly despite severe financial constraints directing the Governor to take administrative action against officers who unlawfully authorized the release of the money.

“The expenditure of Sh5million in the housewarming party of the Vihiga County Assembly Speaker is an expenditure that is immoral and unjustified, it should be noted that Vihiga County pending bills had ballooned to Sh1.7 billion as of June 30, 2025,” said Kajwang.

Kajwang asked Ottichilo to take disciplinary action and, if necessary, recover the funds. The Governor told Senators that he had already noted the anomaly and intended to take action after consulting the Committee had taken their views seriously.