The Kisumu government is set to pay contractors and suppliers more than Sh300 million.
Finance executive George Okong’o said the county government has received approval from relevant agencies and will commence payments this week.
“We are keen to maintain a productive relationship with businesses, especially small, medium and micro enterprises. That’s our job and we're committed to our business partners,” he said.
Okong’o said hooliganism, thuggery and politics will not distract the county government from carrying out its mandates and providing services to residents.
He called on business partners to exercise a high level of professionalism and integrity.
“We are appealing to business partners to stay on course of credibility and focus. We remain open to consult and work together with contractors and suppliers for the growth of our county,” Okong’o said.
He said Governor Anyang' Nyong’o administration inherited a pending bill of Sh3 billion from the previous government.
“We have since made payments and we have documents and schedules of payments. The pending bill has since been reduced by more than 50 per cent,” he said.
Okong’o said the pending bills are Sh1.4 billion and the intended payment of Sh300,000 million will reduce the amount.
“We have not even paid out what is allocated in the current financial year’s budget for pending bills,” he said.
Okong’o said the county will pay another Sh400 million so that by the end of this financial year the county's pending bill could be less than or just about Sh500 million.
He condemned the storming of county government offices at Prosperity House by some contractors on Wednesday to demand payments.
The contractors said Kisumu county has pending bills of more than Sh3 billion.
“Earlier today, a group of people, who identified themselves as contractors, invaded the county finance department office, supposedly to follow up on debts owed to them by the county government,” Okong'o said.
He said they will not tolerate acts of hooliganism by the alleged contractors.
“We do not know any businesspeople that could engage in such kind of activities.”
Association chairman Maurice Aloo said contractors are suffering and should be paid their dues. “We took loans and we have bills to pay such as school fees, offices and workers,” Aloo said.
He said they want payments on time, fairness in the distribution of contracts and the government's rule on tenders is strictly adhered to.
Aloo alleged that one of the members was attacked by someone purporting to be a contractor.
“We have had engagements with the county government for the last two months and there have been promises. Nothing has so far been forthcoming,” he said.
Aloo said the association has engaged various state agencies concerning their payments.
He said the association will continue to push for the rights of its members, listing a raft of demands that must be met for a mutual working relationship.
Aloo claimed that the biggest competitors on tenders are MCAs and county staff.
But Okong’o dismissed claims of skewed distribution of tenders, saying they had previously challenged the contractors’ association to furnish them with details for further probe.
“When we first heard about them from the contractors' association, we thought that association was a respectable and organised body that could give credible information to the county government. We asked for that information and such has not been available to us for action,” he said.
“As soon as we receive them, investigate and confirm that these allegations are true, the county government will take action.”
Okong'o said what the county has since found out is that the people making these claims are interested in sensationalism and politics.
“We have never seen a single case presented to us and that does not mean we are not looking into the issue. We are now doing our own investigations,” he said.
“I wish the contractors' association, especially if it is a serious one, could give itself credibility by giving information to the county government. They can even publicise that information instead of just playing politics.”
Okong’o said some of the information they get from alleged contractors is shocking, the level of misinformation and mischief, which simply means they are playing politics.
“Any serious business will not engage in cheap propaganda and mere politics that I do here. If we get credible information, we will swiftly act on it,” he added.
Edited by A.N
