• Education CEC admits that there were projects that had stalled since 2013. He took the office last year.
• He appeared before committee alongside his Roads counterpart whose docket is tasked with drawing Bills of Quantities for projects.
The Kilifi assembly General Oversight committee has summoned two executives to explain 100 stalled Early Childhood Development projects.
The projects are under Education and ICT executive Prof Gabriel Katana.
Katana appeared before the committee alongside his Roads counterpart Josephat Mwatelawhose department draws up Bills of Quantities and handles technical issues.
During the questioning on Tuesday, MCAs said there were many stalled projects and demanded explanations.
The MCAs also blamed cartels, saying they have delayed budgeted development projects.
The Education CEC dismissed claims of cartels in his department.
Katana admitted that there were projects that had stalled since 2013. He took the office last year.
He told the committee that last year, they budgeted Sh350 million to complete the projects and it was agreed with the Executive. However, he said, no payments were made.
He said there were 432 ongoing projects including the stalled ones and "only 331 are not complete but contractors are on the site."
"Funds for the stalled projects were diverted to address a disaster last year," the executive member said.
He said eight projects were affected in Ganze constituency.
The committee's report showed that there are more than 128 stalled projects.
Speaker Jimmy Kahindi directed the CEC to come up with a list of all stalled projects so they can make recommendations to Governor Amason Kingi for action.
Kahindi said no funds would be allocated to the department until all projects are completed.
He, however, admitted that many of the stalled projects were from the previous term.
"There could be over 200 projects that have stalled; we shall only give them recurrent funds to complete these," the speaker said.
He said a shortage of staff in the Roads department was contributing to the delay in required approvals and drawings.
Executive Mwatela said the department has only two engineers processing BQs and they are supposed to come up with over 400 each year.
He said the department supports more than 100 departments but has poor workmanship, "something that has not been addressed despite [our] raising it many times".
For them to work effectively, he said, they require at least two structural engineers, two architects, two county surveyors and mechanical engineers among others.
"When designing, a building needs to be certified for safety. I took the issue to the Cabinet and requested that we even outsource experts if we cant hire at least five in each department. But that is yet to be done."
Most experts won't work for the county due to low pay, Mwatela said.
Edited by R.Wamochie