Homa Bay on the spot over Sh1bn spent on stalled projects

Homa Bay County government is on the spot over Sh602 million spent on projects that were either not implemented or have stalled.

The Governor Cyprian Awiti-led county government has been accused by the Auditor General Nancy Gathungu of having paid out the millions of shillings for works that were either stalled or had not started.

According to a Auditor General report for the financial year ending June 30, 2019, Sh19.7 million was paid out by the county government for projects that have not been implemented.

One such project is the construction of Miyuga-Mawego Road which was awarded in March, 2018 for a contract sum of Sh4.3 million but years later it had not been implemented despite Sh3.9 million forked out.

For Kogwe-Randung-Sinema Road construction, the total contract sum of Sh5.86 million had been paid out despite the project not taking off. The contract was awarded in March, 2018 and was to take about seven months.

The same fate has befallen the construction of Rapedhi-Riat Road, which despite the total contract sum of Sh5.86 million being paid out, the project has not begun. The two projects were awarded at the same time.

The county government is also on the spot for paying Sh4.3 million for the construction of Nyangwethe-Sindo Road. The project’s contract was awarded in April, 2018 and was to take 15 weeks to be complete.

“Management paid for works that were not complete 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 the report.

In regards to stalled projects, the county government paid the total contract sum of Sh2.51 million for the construction of Kabondo Water Pan Spillway despite the spillway having been washed away by water.

The county government was also on the spot over the construction of Kadongo-Gendia Road, which despite being awarded in October, 2015 for 12 months, still had road furniture works outstanding with the county having already paid Sh481 million of the Sh687 million total contract sum.

Construction of maize processing plant at Kigoto in Suba, though the contract sum was not indicated, the county government paid out Sh12.9 million.

However, an audit of the project revealed that construction had stopped at window level and the contractor was not on site. Interestingly, the contract was awarded in July, 2015 and was to be completed within six months.

Another project is the construction of post-harvest grain handling facility at Kigoto. The contract was awarded in June, 2016 at a cost of Sh23 million and was to take 42 weeks.

But four years later, the contractor was not on site and the project had only reached the substructure level with Sh9.9 million already shelled out.

Sixteen water projects awarded at a combined cost of Sh99.9 million were not complete and not in use despite Sh51.4 million already paid out.

The construction of Apuoche Early Childhood Development Education classrooms, awarded in October, 2018 for a period of 12 weeks, had also stalled and the contractor was not on site.

In yet another staled project, Sh5 million out of the contract sum of Sh19.82 million had been paid out for the construction of outpatient and casualty block at Rachuonyo District Hospital.

However, the contractor was not complete and the contractor not on site. The contract was awarded more than seven years in April, 2012 and was to take only five months.