- The Jubilee government has been pumping billions in the Big Four projects in apparent efforts to complete them before the term ends.
- According to the report, ministerial development activities took up Sh231.24 billion in the first six months of the 2021-22 financial year.
Image: CHETI PRAXIDES
Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o wants an audit on all delayed and stalled government projects to prevent further loss of public funds.
The budget boss said billions of taxpayers’ money is sinking in stalled projects initiated by national government entities across the country.
The revelations are contained in the 2021-22 half-year budget implementation review report released on Thursday.
Nyakang’o said the audit will help in deciding whether to fund the projects to completion or abandon those not viable.
The stalled projects are a blow to President Uhuru Kenyatta who has been rushing to complete projects before he leaves office in August.
Though the report does not entail the number of stalled projects, it shows that the projects have stalled or delayed due a number of factors.
They include non-funding and projects initiated with no concept notes and thereby unable to be costed in the outer years.
The report adds that austerity measures introduced by the government has resulted in budget cuts and non-allocation for the projects in the subsequent budget cycles.
Disputes arising from court injunctions have also delayed the projects, leaving the purpose for which they were initiated unachieved.
“This may result in dead capital, wastage of public funds and increased expenditure due to additional charges by the contractors,” she said in the report.
Nyakang’o said the National Treasury should prioritise releasing funds to ministries, departments and agencies for the ongoing projects before new projects are initiated.
This, she said, will hasten the implementation of development activities and avoid many incomplete projects.
The Jubilee government has been pumping billions in the Big Four projects in apparent efforts to complete them before the term ends.
According to the report, ministerial development activities took up Sh231.24 billion in the first six months of the 2021-22 financial year.
This represents a slight increase compared with Sh230.89 billion spent in a similar period last year.
The MDAs were allocated Sh668.38 billion for development in the current fiscal year.
Nyakang'o said the state department of Infrastructure spent the highest amount of development allocation between July 1 and December 31 last year.
The department spent Sh66.20 billion on mega road and other infrastructural projects undertaken by the national government.
It was followed by the National Treasury which spent Sh30.97 billion on development in six months.
The Ministry of Health, which is responsible for Universal Health Coverage spent Sh22.35 billion.
The department for Water and Sanitation which is charged with irrigation to ensure food security, used Sh15.56 billion, while Energy ministry spent Sh12.75 billion.
The state department for housing and urban development which is currently overseeing the construction of at least 500,000 units under the Affordable Housing agenda, spent Sh6.59 billion.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)