Millions wasted as counties leave expensive medical equipment and facilities idle
In Nyeri County, Naromoru Level Four Hospital has two surgery theatres equipped with air conditioning, costing Sh9.7 million, yet they remain unused.
Medical equipment and infrastructure worth millions of shillings remain unused in several counties, raising concerns over wasteful expenditure, according to Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu’s latest report on county governments for the 2023-2024 Financial Year.
The report highlights multiple cases where county governments procured expensive medical equipment and built healthcare facilities that remained idle for months or even years after completion.
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The Auditor-General warns that such expenditures may not provide value for money.
In Kilifi County, a medical incinerator worth Sh33.49 million was delivered on March 5, 2024, but had not been put into use by the time of the audit in October 2024, seven months later.
The county also spent Sh14.4 million on digital X-ray machines, but an inspection in October 2024 revealed that one machine delivered on February 22, 2024, was still in storage and not in use.
Kitui County also faces similar issues. An X-ray building at Kauwi Hospital, valued at Sh2.2 million, was completed but remained unused as the county awaited the installation of an X-ray machine.
The audit further revealed that Kitui County Referral Hospital had an oxygen plant worth Sh14.5 million, supplied in the 2016-2017 Financial Year, yet it had not been installed or commissioned.
The machine was stored outside in an unsecured space, leaving it vulnerable to adverse weather conditions.
Human resources
Machakos County’s audit findings focused on human resources.
A review of payroll records showed that 67 clinical officers and 61 medical doctors were on the payroll. However, reports generated from the Integrated Health Management System indicated that these medical personnel had not been engaged in any activities from September 2023 when Level Four and Five hospitals were digitised, and from February to March 2024 when all Level Three and Four facilities were digitised.
In Nyeri County, Naromoru Level Four Hospital has two surgery theatres equipped with air conditioning, costing Sh9.7 million, yet they remain unused.
Nakuru County also failed to utilise four completed projects worth Sh30.2 million. Three facilities were not equipped, while one lacked an installed generator, rendering them non-operational.
Siaya County’s Got Agulu Hospital has an X-ray machine that is not in use since there is no radiographer.
Idle facilities
In Kisumu County, contracts were awarded for the construction of Dago Kotiende and Kowino maternity units and the rehabilitation of Chulaimbo Sub-County Hospital for Sh10.8 million.
While physical verification confirmed that the work was completed as per the bill of quantities, the facilities remained idle as of September 2024.
In Migori County, a Sh2.9 million ablution block at Rongo Sub-County Hospital was completed but was yet to be handed over by the contractor, leaving it unused.
Kisii County also continued funding idle projects, with one such project costing Sh3.2 million. Despite its completion, it remains unused.
The Auditor-General cited these cases as violations of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012, particularly Section 149, which requires counties to ensure effective use of public funds.
The findings have sparked concerns about inefficient planning and mismanagement in county healthcare investments, leaving vital medical resources idle while residents continue to face challenges accessing quality healthcare.
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