Auditor General raises red flag on city’s stalled Sh204.2 million projects

Auditor General Edward Ouko when he appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committees CIOC and Justice and Legal Affairs at Continental House, Nairobi on Thursday 30/06/16 over IEBC procurement and related cases. [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO]

The Auditor General Edward Ouko has lifted the lid on Sh204.2 million worth of stalled projects in Nairobi County.

In the audit report for the year ended June 2017, Mr Ouko cited projects abandoned by contractors due to delayed payments.

Construction of Ruai Street Children's Rehabilitation Centre valued at Sh126.9 million has stalled despite the county government approving a Sh150 million budget for the project in the year under review. The project awarded to Tecina General Contractors Ltd commenced in 2015.

“A visit to the project in January last year revealed that the project had stalled and the contractor had abandoned the project. In 2016, works valued at Sh21.7 million were certified for payment but at the time of audit, the first certificate had not been paid,” said the report released last year. 

Construction of Joseph Kang'ethe Social Hall has also stalled despite payments being made. According to the auditor, the project valued at Sh61 million and commenced in August 2015 was expected to be complete in August 2016.

“The first certificate for works valued at Sh21.9 million was approved on March 17, 2016, and paid in October 2016,” stated the report.

The auditor was also concerned by the delay in erecting a perimeter wall at Mji wa Huruma, a home for the elderly.

A contract for the project valued at Sh16.8 million was awarded on May, 2015, through restricted tendering, but no notable work has been done since 2016, all due to non-payment of contractors.

Meanwhile, the Auditor General has raised the red flag over the slow implementation of development projects in Nairobi.

In a report, the auditor said Sh1.9 billion was allocated to transport and infrastructure docket for the construction of roads, whereas another Sh430 million was allocated for the maintenance of roads.

In the year under review, the county had initiated 25 road projects at a cost of Sh1.33 billion but out of the 25, six projects worth 265.9 million had not commenced, 19 months later.

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