'Treasury writes to us, sometimes saying pay this, pay that and that kind of thing. We will send you copies of these letters'
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Treasury officials have been accused of favouritism in the payment of counties' pending bills.
Governors whose counties have pending bills on Wednesday claimed the officials were requesting that certain contractors be prioritised in the clearance of the payments.
Nandi Governor Stephen Sang said Treasury officials were increasingly interfering with operations of counties under the guise that the devolved governments clear their pending bills.
Sang told the Senate’s Finance Committee that he had letters from the National Treasury with instructions on whom to prioritise while clearing bills.
“Treasury writes to us, sometimes saying pay this, pay that and that kind of thing. We will send you copies of these letters,” Sang told the panel.
Nine governors who were with Sang supported his claims.
Committee chairman Mohamed Mohamud wondered how the National Treasury would have details of the creditors.
“Have you experienced what the Nandi Governor has said,” Mohamud asked the county chiefs and they said 'Yes."
Among those present before the team were Mike Sonko (Nairobi), Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga) and Alfred Mutua (Machakos).
Mohamud asked the governors to send them copies of the letters for them to raise the matter with the authorities.
“That is a matter worth investigating. Please send us copies of those letters,” the Mandera senator said.
Waiguru asked the senate to investigate some pending bills, saying they were suspicious. “When some of us took over, the bills suddenly shot up and when we complained they were reduced without any explanation. I had pending bills amounting to Sh1.5 billion but when I raised questions, it was reduced to Sh700 million without a basis,” Waiguru said.
Counties owed their suppliers Sh64.2 billion as of October 28 but the figure has gone down as the devolved units rushed to beat the December 1 deadline Treasury CS Ukur Yatani issued for the clearance of all pending bills.
Fifteen counties were unable to clear their pending bills before the deadline. The counties sought the intervention of the Senate after the Treasury threatened not to release their funds.
The governors said withholding funds could halt their operations.
Mutua said the affected counties were committed to clearing the bills in the shortest time possible. “If funds are withheld, services will grind to a halt. There will be strikes, no medicine in our hospitals and people will suffer. It will be a lose-lose situation,” Mutua said.
edited p. obuya