Audit finds classrooms, police posts and ICT hubs lying idle despite millions spent
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu’s latest audit shows that Sh101 million worth of projects across 18 constituencies have yet to serve their intended communities.
Despite millions of shillings spent on constituency projects, including classrooms, police posts and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) hubs, many completed structures remain unused, highlighting glaring inefficiencies in local development.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu’s latest audit shows that Sh101 million worth of projects across 18 constituencies have yet to serve their intended communities.
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The audit, covering the 2023/24 financial year, exposes widespread underutilisation of projects funded through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), pointing to deep-rooted challenges in grassroots development planning and execution.
“These projects, from classrooms and police posts to staff housing and ICT hubs, show a worrying pattern of investment without follow-through,” Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said.
In Embakasi North, completed projects worth over Sh23 million remain unused. In Emuhaya, a police headquarters built at Sh1.79 million has never been occupied. Similarly, in Kangundo, four classrooms at Kitwii Boys Primary School, costing Sh5.63 million, have remained unopened to learners nearly a year after completion.
Kuria East, Lafey, and Laikipia East constituencies also report millions spent on facilities that appear abandoned almost immediately after handover. In some cases, political expediency rather than community necessity may have influenced project implementation.
The audit details further examples across the country: An ICT hub in Limuru worth Sh3.4 million remains non-operational, staff housing in Laikipia North valued at Sh1.5 million stands empty, and a Sh5.9 million borehole at Pala Primary School in Ndhiwa is non-functional.
In Mukurwe-ini, the Gumba Police Post, built for Sh734,059, was found abandoned during a November 2024 inspection. One of the most striking cases involves Turkana South, where lecture rooms at Aro Teachers Training College, completed at Sh20.9 million, have yet to be put to use. Likewise, in Samburu East, a dining hall and dormitory for Tipito Girls Secondary School, constructed for Sh11.2 million, remain empty.
Gathungu says the findings highlight a broader failure of accountability and responsiveness in local development.
“Once the ribbon-cutting is done and photo opportunities concluded, many constituencies lack the institutional discipline to ensure projects transition into full operation,” she said.
She further highlighted that several initiatives may have been driven by political considerations rather than genuine community needs.
“This audit should serve as a wake-up call. Development funding must translate into meaningful community benefit, not structures that remain dormant,” Gathungu added.
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