Report shows it currently owes more than Sh7 million, forcing suppliers to take custody of the equipment.
Suppliers are now unwilling to repair machines due to debt accrued over the years.
The situation has affected efforts to repair roads in the county recently destroyed by heavy rains.
All Meru County roadwork machinery is either forcibly held by dealers over money owed or stalled due to lack of funds for fuel and servicing.
This is according to a report tabled at the county assembly that shows the devolved unit currently owes more than Sh7 million, forcing suppliers to take custody of the equipment.
Another Sh3 million is needed to service machinery parked at the county yard in Meru town. The county has three dozers, three tippers, seven graders, one bowser, one back hoe, one low bed, a Roller and one Wheel loader.
According to the report prepared by the Transport and Public Works committee, one dozer is held up in Nairobi over a Sh3.4 million debt while two tippers are with a Meru-based dealer over a Sh3.6 million debt.
The situation has affected efforts to repair roads recently destroyed by heavy rains.
Lost trust
The report tabled by Thangatha MCA Gervase King’ori last week shows that six out of seven graders are serviceable but have stalled due to lack of funds, with suppliers unwilling to repair the machines due to debt accrued over the years.
Nominated MCA Lucy Mukaria expressed concern that contractors and suppliers were losing trust in the county government, thus making local service orders (LSOs) irrelevant.
“Failure by the executive to pay pending bills has made suppliers reluctant...People are afraid of doing business with the county,” she said, adding that Governor Kiraitu Murungi needs to come clear on the issue of Sh900 million pending bills which were thrown out.
Timau MCA George Kimathi lamented that he had to spend Sh20,000 from his income to repair a road during the burial of the wife of freedom fighter Musa Mwariama.
“My electorate are suffering because someone has failed to repair the county machines. We are now being accused of misappropriating public funds leading to poor roads. The machines should be repaired immediately,” he said.
