Politics and policy
City Hall, in Nairobi. Photo/FILE
By KIARIE NJOROGE
Nairobi County Assembly has taken issue with the
clearance of some suppliers for payment even before a task force report
on pending bills is completed.
County secretary Lilian Ndegwa told the Public
Accounts Committee that the “few contractors” were cleared under special
circumstances such as those handling projects that could stall. “But
for the others like goods suppliers, we were categorical that they have
to wait,” she said.
Dandora Area III county rep Charles Thuo said that
clearing the companies before the report is tabled provided an avenue
for corruption.
The committee had put Ms Ndegwa to task over why
the suppliers were paid before the report was presented to Governor
Evans Kidero. The task force was formed last November to audit the debts
incurred before the devolved government took office.
Blacklisted
Ms Ndegwa said that a preliminary report was
released two weeks ago but it had gaps that needed to be filled. The
report is now expected to be handed over in the next three weeks.
She said that the task force had unearthed some irregularities that could see some suppliers blacklisted.
“For example, someone has billed the county for
delivery of construction materials. But when you go to the registrar of
motor vehicles, the registration is that of a motorcycle,” she said.
The committee was examining irregularities pointed out by the Auditor General in a report for the period up to September 2013.
City Hall executives said the debts were
historical and arose from previous administrations spending more than
they had, leaving the county in deficits.
Overemployment, they said, ate up all revenues
leaving little for statutory payments for pensions and taxes with the
Local Authorities Pension Trust, the Kenya Revenue Authority and the
Local Authorities Provident Fund the key City Hall creditors.
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