Stalled Homa Bay projects cost county Sh550m — audit report

At least Sh550 million risk going down the drain in stalled projects, poor quality works and slow implementationin Homa Bay, a new report shows.

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said the county has paid for projects that have never started while some complete projects have never used.

The auditor said Governor Cyprian Awiti’s administration is dogged by irregular procurements where tenders are awarded to select firms without undergoing competitive process.

The revelations are contained in the 2019-20 financial audit report of the Homa Bay county executive tabled in the Senate last week.

The report said 46 projects worth Sh186.24 million, whose contracts were awarded during the year, had not started by the end of the fiscal year.

“As a result, the residents of Homa Bay did not obtain the benefits they had been promised the projects would provide to them,” the report said.

Another 57 projects valued at Sh225.81 million that were scheduled for completion within the year under review, were not completed.

This is despite the county having pumped Sh105.57 million into the projects aimed at improving the lives of the residents.

Further, two projects worth Sh63.81 million that were scheduled for completion in 2014-15 financial year had stalled.

They include the construction of animal feed factory at Arujo and Kenya Medical Training College at Sindo.

The animal feed was supposed to be completed in April 2015.

“The works had not been completed even though the contract period expired more than five years earlier. The contractor was not at the site which appeared to have long been abandoned,” the report said in part.

The county had also awarded Sh18.65 million tender for construction of classrooms, an office and ablution block at Sindo KMTC in Suba North.

The contract was awarded in 2015-16 for a period of eight weeks.

“However, physical verification of the project site in October, 2020, revealed that the works were abandoned at 45 per cent level of completion,” Gathungu said in the report. 

“In addition to denying potential learners and residents services and other benefits, the stalled project may result in waste of public funds.” 

Gathungu also exposed several unsatisfactory and poorly done works that could have sunk taxpayers’ money.

At Ondiwa Gamba Primary, the county spent Sh1.06 million on construction of ECDE classrooms.

However, verification done months later showed that the walls were weak, apparently due to poor mix of sand and cement.

“The mortar used on the walls would peel off by mere scratching and further, part of the wall had collapsed, both indicators of low quality workmanship,” the report said. 

At Tom Mboya Hospital, the county spent Sh30.05 million to renovate a facility. However, poor workmanship manifested three months later as there were cracks all over the structure.

The ceiling boards also displayed cracks as the painting work was of low quality. There was no running water for use at the facility.

“Consequently, propriety and value for money on expenditure totalling Sh3.05 million spent on the project could not be confirmed,” Gathungu said in the report.

At Nyagoro Health Centre, the county spent Sh3.42 million on tiling, painting and fixing of windows and doors. 

Records show some of the works had not been done despite the payments having been made.

“Further, records on the project indicated that the contractor carried out the works in an improbable one week from the date the contract agreement was signed on June 23, 2020, to the invoice date of June 30, 2020.” 

Gathungu also revealed how the county has been awarding tenders to companies uncompetitively.

For instance, the county awarded a Sh7.01 million contract to a firm for construction of God Nyayo Bridge.

The firm was the second lowest evaluated bidder. The first bidder quoted Sh4.94 million but was not awarded the tender.

“As a result, savings of public funds totalling Sh2.07 million being the difference between the lowest bid and the contracted sum, were forfeited."

The county, the audit said, has completed projects worth Sh25.50 million, but the same have never been put to use.

They include Rapogi dispensary, Pedo health centre and Kilambo dispensary. 

(edited by Amol Awuor)