Nyer MCAs demand answers on project

A session of the Nyeri County Assembly underway. [Courtesy]

The Nyeri County Assembly wants the executive to explain why several projects have stalled and why drugs worth millions of shillings were allowed to expire.

Presenting a report on an audit of the executive for the year ended June 2018, the chairperson of the assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Richard Kamuhia raised the issue of delayed completion of the Titie Water Treatment Plant.

The committee questioned why the project worth Sh12 million had yet to start, yet Sh4.8 million had been paid to contractors.

In the report, the committee observed that while the contract agreement was signed and the project was supposed to take six months from March 7, 2017, no work had began by November 2018, 20 months later.

“No explanation has been provided for the failure by the contractor to complete the project within the contract period,” the report stated.

Project status

The committee recommended that the CEC Finance furnish it with the status of the project, with explanations for the delays.

 “If the explanation is not sufficient, PAC will invite the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission  and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to further investigations and prosecutions,” said Mr Kamuhia.

The committee also castigated the executive for expired drugs worth Sh15 million that, according to the report, were procured beyond the needs of the county.

The ward reps gave the health executive 14 days to present a report on expired drugs in public hospitals.

“Health services should liaise with the procurement department on the disposal of the drugs within 14 days of the adoption of this report,” said Kamuhia.

Kenya Power also came under fire, with the report indicating that despite it demanding payment upfront for projects worth Sh7.4 million, there had been a delay in implementation.

The PAC recommended that the county source for other service providers.

During debate on the report, ward reps said there were no major audit issues, but the executive needed to address the queries raised.

Deputy Speaker Samuel Kariuki noted that the county's revenue collection system required monitoring, while Kirimukuyu MCA Anthony Ndagita called on the executive to explain its failure to absorb funds.

“The assembly has been passing budgets on time but the executive has failed,” Mr Ndagita said.