In a recent series of hearings,Senators have exposed significant financial gaps in the county’s budget, raising serious concerns about fiscal mismanagement and potential risks to essential services.
The hearings, involved a thorough review of the county’s financial records. Senators were alarmed to discover discrepancies in how funds were allocated and a lack of clarity surrounding certain expenditures. The investigations also revealed that millions of public funds were unaccounted for or spent without sufficient oversight.
The panel emphasized the importance of transparency in managing taxpayer money.
“It is imperative that we hold local governments accountable for their spending,” it said. “The public deserves to know where their money is going, especially when we are seeing critical shortfalls in key services like healthcare, education, and law enforcement.”
Huge wage bills, often characterised by existence of ‘ghost’ workers and a lack of audit committees are also at the centre of the financial mess in the devolved units.
The Senate County Public Accounts Committee cited these in its report tabled in the floor last December.
The report on the scrutiny of the financial audit reports for county executives for the year ended 30 June 2020, was tabled by committee chairman Moses Kajwang.
Senators established that the devolved units are yet to craft a formula for dealing with the pending bills that are outstanding for several years.
They have instead continued to incur bills without prioritizing payment of verified pending bills as a first charge as required by law.
The committee now wants ineligible pending bills investigated by the investigative agencies.
During the hearings, it was revealed that significant portions of the county’s budget had been diverted to unspecified or poorly documented projects. In particular, a substantial amount of money allocated for public health initiatives was found to be underutilized, leaving the county’s healthcare infrastructure vulnerable to cuts.
“We are facing a crisis in our public services, and yet we are seeing millions go missing. We can’t afford to ignore these issues any longer,” they said. “It’s unacceptable for taxpayers to be kept in the dark about how their money is being managed.”
The senators also scrutinized the county’s contracting practices, finding that several deals with private companies lacked competitive bidding processes. Some contracts appeared to have been awarded without proper vetting, raising concerns about favoritism and potential corruption.
“There is a clear pattern of mismanagement here,” the panel asserted. “These practices are not only inefficient, but they undermine the public’s confidence in their government.”
However, some critics argue that the county’s response may be too little, too late. Joseph Macharia a concerned citizen who closely followed the hearings, expressed skepticism about the county’s willingness to make real changes.
“For years, we’ve been asking for accountability, and now that it’s out in the open, the county seems more focused on damage control than actual reform,” Macharia said. “The community deserves better than empty promises.”
As the investigation continues, senators are calling for more stringent oversight measures, including stronger auditing practices and independent reviews of county contracts. They are also advocating for stricter penalties for officials found to have engaged in financial misconduct.
The senators’ findings have sparked a larger conversation about government accountability and fiscal responsibility. As the county moves forward, the pressure will be on officials to rebuild public trust.
