KISII, Kenya — Kisii County has revealed major irregularities in its pending bills, with a committee report showing that only Ksh. 235 million out of Ksh. 1.69 billion in claims were genuine. The verification, conducted by a committee led by Haron Nyakundi and constituted by Governor Simba Arati, found that Ksh. 1.2 billion in claims lacked supporting documentation, while an additional Ksh. 130 million could only be cleared after contractors provided full evidence of completed work. The revelations, announced at Gusii Stadium to members of the public and stakeholders from all nine sub-counties, exposed systemic challenges in the county’s financial management.
The report highlighted that some projects marked as complete had either not started or were poorly executed, with certain bills inflated or unsupported. Shockingly, the committee discovered instances of bribery where county officers responsible for project inspections demanded kickbacks before approving work. No single project could be inspected before the bribe was given out, the report noted, referencing a directive from a chief officer instructing upfront payments for project inspections. The findings have raised serious concerns about accountability and transparency within county operations, prompting calls for immediate reforms in project oversight and payments.
Governor Arati pledged to address the anomalies decisively, emphasizing that only legitimate bills will be honored. He warned contractors submitting bogus claims and county staff misappropriating funds that legal action would follow. The report will be tabled at Cabinet for implementation and shared with the National Treasury and the Controller of Budget, the governor said. The administration also plans to develop an acceptable pending bills payment plan to ensure genuine contractors are paid promptly while holding accountable those involved in fraudulent practices. The report is expected to guide financial reforms and strengthen accountability measures within Kisii County going forward.