Auditor-General Edward Ouko says although the project stalled in 2013, the contractor has not been issued with a formal contract termination letter and surcharged.
Mr Ouko said that certificate number 01 was issued on June 6, 2013 by the resident engineer for an amount of Sh32,182,850.
He said that minutes for the progress meeting held on June 3, 2013 indicate that the contractor had done five per cent of the work, equivalent to Sh15,446,878 of the contract sum of Sh308,937,558.
The Department of Special Programmes is on the spot over payment of Sh32.2 million to a contractor who was hired to build the Wajir sewerage project that stalled six years ago.
Auditor-General Edward Ouko says although the project stalled in 2013, the contractor has not been issued with a formal contract termination letter and surcharged.
Mr Ouko said that certificate number 01 was issued on June 6, 2013 by the resident engineer for an amount of Sh32,182,850.
He said that minutes for the progress meeting held on June 3, 2013 indicate that the contractor had done five per cent of the work, equivalent to Sh15,446,878 of the contract sum of Sh308,937,558.
“The contractor was, therefore, overpaid by Sh16,735,972,” Mr Ouko says in a qualified audit for the year to June 2017.
He said the amount was paid on the strength of advice from the attorney-general on a claim filed by the contractor.
“However, the advice was that part of the claim was payable but only to the extent that a certificate of work done has been issued,” Mr Ouko said.
He said the contractor was paid the entire amount.
“The project remains incomplete and there are no activities going on at the site,” he said.
