Homa Bay County On The Spot Over Missing Millions

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Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti addressing mourners at a funeral in Homa Bay town in 2019
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The Governor of Homa Bay county, Cyprian Awiti is on the spot for paying millions of shillings for works that were not completed and some not even started. A report by the auditor General, Nancy Gathungu, stated that Ksh 19.7 million was paid out by the county government for projects yet to be implemented.

For instance, the construction of Miyua-Mawego Road, which was awarded Ksh 4.3 million in March 2018, but had not been implemented years later. Another project, which was allegedly never implemented is the construction of Gokwe-Radung-Sinema and Rapedhi-Riat Roads each worth Ksh 5.86 million, also awarded in March 2018. The construction of the former was supposed to take seven months but has never started.

Ksh 4.3 million was also awarded for the construction of Nyangwethe-Sindo Road in April 2018 and since then, the project has not kicked off. This particular project was set to take 15 weeks.

“Management paid for works that were not completed or had not been started. In the circumstances, it is not possible to confirm whether citizens of Homa Bay County have received value for money on projects,” read part of the report.

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu at a public event in Nairobi in 2019
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As far as the stalled projects in the county are concerned, a total of Ksh 2.51 million was paid for the construction of Kabondo Water Pan Spillway despite it being washed away by water. Construction of the Kadongo-Gendia Road, is also another stalled project whose funds were reportedly awarded in October 2015 and for 12 months still had road furniture works outstanding.

At the time, the county government had already paid Ksh 481 million of the total sum for the project which was Ksh 687 million.

The Auditor general also pointed out that Ksh 12.9 million was spent on construction of a maize processing plant at Kigoto in Suba, whose contract sum was not indicated. This project is said to have stopped at window level, with the contractor not on site, despite having been set to be completed in six months.

The construction of a post-harvest grain handling facility at Kigoto project which was awarded Ksh 23 million in June 2016 was to take 42 weeks and is yet to be completed having reached the substructure level and Ksh 9.9 million spent already. 

There are also 16 water projects which add up to Ksh 99.9 awarded money, not yet complete while Ksh 51.4 million has already been paid out. A further Ksh 5 million of Ksh 19.82 million was paid out for the construction of an outpatient and casualty block at Rachuonyo District Hospital, awarded in April, 2012 and set to take 5 months which adds up to the stalled projects.

In another recent case of lack of accountability with regards to the tax-payers' money, the Auditor General revealed a new National Youth Service scandal showing that tires, which are part of inventories worth Ksh 255 million are lying at the National Youth Service(NYS) with no record of them being there. 

“Under the circumstances the inventory belonging to the fund had not been included in the total inventory value as of June 30, 2019 and hence the stock value in the financial statement is underrated and inaccurate,” the report by the Office of the Auditor-General reads in part. 

A file iumage of the National Treasury
The National Treasury offices at Harambee Avenue, Nairobi
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