Baringo Sh217m projects stall, audit reveals failure

Governor Benjamin Cheboi’s administration neither incurred nor reported any expenditure on development programmes, raising serious questions over service delivery and project implementation. [File, Standard]

Baringo County Government has accumulated stalled development projects worth more than Sh217 million, according to a recent audit report.

The Controller of Budget County Governments’ Budget Implementation Review Report for the First Quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year reveals that the county had 16 stalled development projects as at September 30, 2025, with a total estimated value of Sh217.44 million, out of which Sh126.84 million had already been paid.

The audit further shows that during the period under review, Governor Benjamin Cheboi’s administration neither incurred nor reported any expenditure on development programmes, raising serious questions over service delivery and project implementation.

According to the report, the county government cited insecurity, unresponsive contractors, termination of contracts due to delays and inadequate funding as reasons for the failure to complete the projects.

Among the stalled projects is the construction of a pit latrine, fencing and installation of 10,000-litre water tanks and gutters at the Saimo Kipsaraman Ward Office, estimated to cost Sh1,493,252.

The audit indicates that the contractor is behind schedule, despite Sh1,041,215 already having been paid.

The construction of a laboratory at Riongo Dispensary, valued at Sh1,458,574, has also stalled. Insecurity and lack of response from the contractor were cited as reasons for the delay.

Kabarnet Stadium has emerged as one of the most glaring examples of stalled projects. Construction of the facility began in 2014, but audit reports detail years of expenditure with little progress on the ground.

The audit shows that Sh10,775,356 was allocated for construction of a boundary wall around the stadium during the 2014/2015 financial year, and the amount was spent in full. However, the wall was left incomplete, with sections later collapsing.

Another Sh15,221,600 was allocated for earthworks and levelling at the stadium in the 2015/2016 financial year, of which Sh12,620,861.21 was paid. The contract was scheduled to run for just two months—from October 4 to December 4, 2015—but the works remain incomplete.

The county also allocated Sh23.7 million for civil works and water supply at the stadium, with Sh16,776,268 already paid, yet the project stalled. A 2016/2017 Controller of Budget report had indicated that the funds were meant for construction of sanitation facilities, changing rooms and a pavilion.

An additional Sh2,691,687 was allocated for the erection and completion of pit latrines and changing rooms at Kabarnet Stadium, with the full amount paid, while the works remain incomplete.

Further, Sh10.9 million was earmarked for completion works at the stadium, including the gate and gatehouse, washroom renovations and a staff house. Of this amount, Sh4,498,132 was paid before the project stalled.

When Cheboi returned to office in 2022, he pledged to complete the stadium and restore public confidence. However, successive audit reports continue to paint a grim picture.