Kwale County on the spot as Senate tour uncovers project failures
The Diani Bus Park, touted by the governor as fully operational, revealed a different story. The facility, which was supposed to serve as a matatu terminal, was nothing more than a poorly constructed open-air market.
A Senate committee’s recent visit to Kwale County exposed discrepancies between the promises made by local officials and the actual state of various projects.
The County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee, led by Senator Godfrey Osotsi, spent the day inspecting facilities, and their findings painted a troubling picture of uncompleted work and underperformance.
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The tour began with a visit to Governor Fatuma Achani’s office, where she confidently assured the senators that the 14-kilometre asbestos-pipe replacement project had been completed and that the Diani Bus Park was fully operational.
"The Diani Bus Park is complete and in use for its intended purpose," the governor announced, prompting applause from the Senators.
However, the optimism quickly turned to disappointment as the delegation visited the actual sites.
At the Tiwi Centre, the senators were shown a trench with only a small portion of the new pipeline installed, raising doubts about the claims made by the county’s leadership.
Kwale Water Managing Director Eric Parmet described the project as “substantially done,” but Senator Osotsi was skeptical.
“Senators, we congratulated the governor far too early. You can’t praise a project in the boardroom and then stand over this underwhelming ditch claiming fourteen kilometres are complete,” he said.
The Diani Bus Park, touted by the governor as fully operational, revealed a different story. The facility, which was supposed to serve as a matatu terminal, was nothing more than a poorly constructed open-air market.
The senators were disheartened to find a shed with torn tarpaulins instead of roofing, no ticketing offices, and no water or lighting.
"This is a glorified open-air market, not a matatu terminal. If the county calls this ‘operational,’ what else are they sugar-coating?" Senator William Kisang remarked.
The situation at Msambweni County Referral Hospital was no better. Patients were still waiting hours after arriving, as only one registration computer was functioning.
Senator Agnes Kavindu urged the staff to show compassion, while Senator Oketch pointed to the thriving private chemists surrounding the hospital, suggesting that the public facility’s pharmacy was failing to meet the needs of patients.
Despite these setbacks, the visit also uncovered some successes. Senators were impressed by the new neonatal unit at the hospital, funded by the M-Pesa Foundation.
Senator Osotsi praised the unit, saying, “This shows what’s possible when money is used well,” encouraging the county to aim for the same level of quality in other areas of the hospital.
In response to the concerns raised, County Secretary Sylvia Chidodo defended the projects, stating that they only needed “minor finishing works.”
However, the committee directed the Office of the Auditor-General to verify the true status of the pipeline, the bus park, and the hospital's automation systems, requesting a detailed report in the next audit cycle.
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