- Work the eight institutions commenced in 2014
- State Department had not granted extension of the contract period.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Eight technical training institutes that were to be put up within a year are still in various stages of completion since work commenced in 2014, a report shows.
A report of the Auditor General Nancy Gathungu for the year ending 30 June 30, 2020 further said the State Department for Vocational and Technical Training had not granted extension of the contract period.
“Although management attributed the delayed completion to various challenges ranging from insecurity to disputes over land, completion of the projects was not achieved as at the time the audit was finalised and solutions for the challenges were not indicated,”Gathungu said.
The report raised queries to the collapse of Chepareria Technical Training Institute, whose work was awarded to a local contractor for Sh48.7 million.
It said the building collapsed while under construction and after more than Sh226.7 million had been disbursed to the institution and paid to the contractor.
“The collapse was attributed to poor workmanship by the contractor who seemed not to have been familiar with the site and who is since demanding for a new site and Bills of Quantities among other conditions in order to redo the work,” the report added.
It said the state department had not taken any action against the contractor over five years after the collapse of the building and abandonment of the site. “An update of the situation was not provided for audit review,” the report added.
Gathungu also raised queries on 16 technical training institutes that are non-operational despite being completed.
“The institutions though completed, were not operational as at the time of audit, casting doubt on their viability and whether proper feasibility studies were conducted. In addition, the non-operational institutions continued to draw Sh2,000,000 annually for operational costs from the government,” the report noted.
She also raised queries on the proposed Kakrao Technical Training Institute which was awarded a contract sum of Sh53 million.
The contract commenced on November 1, 2014 with an expected completion date of November 1, 2015 for a period of 52 weeks. The contract was terminated on July 4, 2017.
Gathungu said the termination letter showed the contractor had already been paid Sh46.2 million being 86 per cent of the contract sum.
“The level of completion at the time of termination was 73 per cent and the contractor, therefore, ought to have been paid Sh33.8 million or 63 per cent of the contract sum given 10 per cent portion requirement. The contractor was therefore overpaid by Sh12.3 million which may constitute loss of public funds,” she said.
“In addition, the incomplete institution with no learners was fitted with furniture and donor funded equipment which are now subject to wear and tear without being put to any economical use.”
-Edited by SKanyara