Nyeri Officer grilled over Sh38m water pipes

County Public Accounts Committee Tuesday grilled Environment and Natural Resources Executive Timothy Ngunyangi over the alleged irregular procurement of water pipes at a cost of Sh38,452,323.

Mr Ngunyagi, who was also asked to explain the hiring of garbage trucks at a cost of Sh2.5 million, said the centralisation of the procurement and payment process during the transitional period was to blame for the audit queries.

"When the Auditor General requested documents to support our expenditure, the department of Treasury failed to provide us with the management letters, and therefore, we were not in a position to respond to their queries at the time," Ngunyangi said.

He said his department was issued with a statutory notice by the Public Health department to clear garbage, which had become a public nuisance.

"I have all the supporting documents here which clearly show that we hired the garbage trucks because all our trucks had broken down and had not been repaired," he explained.

Chairman Baragu Mutahi also sought to know if the trucks had really failed to which Ngunyagi said he would provide documents to support his actions.

WELL USED

For the pipes, the executive said: "The pipes were destined for various sub-counties and I can confirm that some of them were used to take water to Tumutumu after the residents had suffered for close to five years with no water in their homes."

Ngunyagi further explained that the pipes were stored in various stores including the various water companies and that the only pipes left are those for emergencies.

The committee later questioned two representatives of Othaya Dairy Co-operative Society over a Sh1 million grant they received from the county government.

Sacco Chairman Josphat Gitahi and fellow member Edward Macharia appeared before the committee and tabled their society's bank statement to the team.

"We can confirm that we received Sh1 million into our Co-operative Bank account, which we spent to pay our farmers whom we owed," Mr Gitahi said.

He told the committee that the society was on the verge of collapse and is owed Sh10.9 million which could not be accounted for by the previous management team.

"We had loans and debts, which we tried to clear after we held a fundraising event with the assistance of our Governor Nderitu Gachagua," Gitahi explained.

He said the fundraiser was able to raise Sh6.1 million and the county government gave the co-operative an additional Sh1 million.

"Can you give complete records of how you spent the money that the county government transferred to your accounts?" asked Kirimukuyu Ward Representative James Kibira.

Gitahi promised to avail the documents on September 8, the hearing continues today.