Acting finance CEC defends record as MCAs push censure motion

Siaya County Governor James Orengo before the Senate's CPAC Committee to deliberate on the Status of Implementation of the Unresolved issues raised in the Report of the Auditor General on the Financial Statements for FY 2023/2024 at Bunge Tower, Parliament, Nairobi. June 23rd,2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Acting Finance Chief Executive Member for Siaya, George Nying’iro, has defended himself against allegations of mismanagement as he battles an attempt by MCAs to kick him out of office.

This happened as Nying’iro appeared before the County Assembly on Tuesday to defend his record as MCAs debated a censure motion against him.

In a 14-page response, Nying’iro said he inherited a Sh286 million backlog of salary by-products in October 2024, adding that only Sh44 million remains pending and will be cleared between December 2025 and January 2026.

He attributed the county’s rising pending bills of Sh818 million (2022/23), Sh761 million (2023/24), and Sh1.12 billion (2024/25) to delayed exchequer releases and the transition to e-procurement. Payments made during the same period were Sh497 million, Sh457 million, and Sh609 million, respectively, with the highest disbursements recorded under his tenure. He added that between September and November 2025, the county paid Sh550 million after IFMIS was restored.

To counter claims of discriminatory payments, Nying’iro tabled a list of 259 contractors, insisting the process was fair and transparent. He also blamed the new Central Bank T-24 Online Banking System for delays, noting that payments can only be processed when cash is available in the County Revenue Fund.

He dismissed allegations of hoarding files, leaking information, and unprofessional conduct, and defended his qualifications, citing a Master’s in Economics, CPA certification, and 18 years of experience.

Nying’iro apologized for delays in submitting the 2025 Finance Bill, linking them to late exchequer releases and procurement challenges. He said Siaya achieved its highest-ever own-source revenue of Sh948 million in 2024/25, bringing total collections over three years to Sh2.07 billion.

He clarified that PMC allowances have not been paid since 2019 due to an ongoing EACC/DCI probe, and blamed stalled procurement for 2025/26 on a slow rollout of the national e-GP system.

Nying’iro also dismissed claims that he benefits from prolonged acting appointments, noting that the role carries no additional pay.