Over 40 contractors in Kisumu have petitioned the county government to pay them debts running into millions of shillings.
The contractors accuse the county government of not being committed to pay them arrears pending for over three years.
Their petition was tabled in the county assembly on Wednesday.
The contractors say the debts have caused them a lot of suffering to the extent they are not able to provide for their families.
"The contractors have been reduced to beggars and destitute, having lost all our savings and investments to the banks that financed the projects undertaken for the county government,” the petition reads.
They have asked the county government to carry forward and treat all their pending bills from 2014 to 2019 as opening balance on the 2019-20 budget.
They appealed to the assembly to treat the matter as urgent and make a resolution on how to mitigate the sufferings of the contractors and suppliers within the county.
The petition was copied to the assembly speaker Onyango Oloo, county secretary Olango Onudi, county finance executive Nerry Achar and assembly budget chairperson Judith Ogaga.
Temporary speaker Victor Rodgers directed the assembly general oversight committee to deliberate on the matter and give a report in two months.
The contractors's grievances come at a time the county is facing a financial crisis after the assembly failed to meet the deadline for passing the budget.
MCAs rejected the 2019-20 Sh10.4 billion budget insisting that the executive must avail a list of all pending bills totaling to Sh2 billion. It should also table before all the flagship projects and the opening and closing balances for the ending financial year.
Deputy Governor Mathews Owili accused the assembly of corruption.
He said the executive was ready to meet the demands of the assembly but will not bow to pressure to have the new assembly building allocated Sh600 million.
