Lamu Governor on the spot over Sh421million stalled projects
By Maureen Kinyanjui |
According to a report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathung'u, Lamu County allocated Sh1.29 billion for projects but spent only Sh796.3 million.
Lamu Governor Issa Timamy faced intense questioning from senators over Sh421 million worth of stalled projects that the county government had budgeted for in the 2022-2023 financial year.
The Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) meeting brought to light numerous issues concerning the management and implementation of county projects.
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According to a report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathung'u, Lamu County allocated Sh1.29 billion for projects but spent only Sh796.3 million.
The under-expenditure left 75 projects that had been planned for failing to start, while another 75 were ongoing, and only 48 were completed.
The senators expressed concern that this delay could lead to unnecessary costs for the county.
The committee, chaired by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, pointed out the lack of an itemised list of projects and noted the possibility of financial mismanagement.
"The county government has failed to provide an itemised list of the projects and evidence of completed projects. Delayed completion means value for money is lost," he said.
EACC roped in
Cherargei gave Governor Timamy 14 days to provide a full list of all ongoing projects. Failure to comply could lead to an investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
Lamu Senator Joseph Githuku described the audit findings as serious, urging the EACC to investigate the matter further.
"I am amazed by the amount of money we are talking about here. The delays in project implementation indicate an ineffective administration," he said.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah also criticised the governor, asserting that funds allocated to the county should be used for services, not left idle.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka echoed this sentiment, calling on the county government to provide clear information on how the funds were spent.
In response, Governor Timamy attributed the delays to late disbursements of funds by the National Treasury. He informed the committee that the latest funds disbursed by the Treasury were for August.
The audit report also flagged other issues in Lamu County's financial management. It revealed that the county failed to support Sh154.5 million in collections with schedules of receipts, transaction details, and payee information.
Auditor-General Gathung'u issued an adverse opinion on the county's revenue report for the Financial Year 2022-2023.
Additionally, the report highlighted the county's failure to disclose Sh630 million in land rate arrears as of June 2022, although Governor Timamy claimed his administration could only trace Sh225.7 million in arrears.
The committee further questioned the county's payments to the Council of Governors, calling them illegal.
Finally, the auditor flagged suspicious transactions, including Sh78.3 million in voided payments.
The county government explained that these payments were cancelled due to system errors, insufficient funds, or accounting issues.
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