A probe team formed by Kajiado Governor Joseph ole Lenku has established that the county has unpaid debts of Sh1.5 billion.
Lenku received the report on Sunday shortly before he left the country for Italy. Asked to comment, Lenku admitted there were "issues of grave concern on county debts" and said he would issue a comprehensive statement later in the week.
According to sources, the governor who held several meetings with close aides on Friday and Saturday in Kajiado and Nairobi, is said to have been miffed by the rot in the county treasury. The probe team blames the treasury for the mess.
The probe team told the governor that lawyers, who work for the county, are demanding Sh210 million from current and old cases. The panel termed the amount exorbitant and unwarranted.
The debt for legal fees is more than what other critical departments such as Water, Agriculture, Livestock and Education owe contractors.
The probe team recommends a review of what led to the high legal fees yet the county has a legal department.
The internal probe team formed by the governor on June 7 was mandated to investigate how the county found itself in the pending bills hole.
The eight-member team that was chaired by the director of the governor's delivery unit, Richard Parsitau, recommends a restructuring of the county treasury and especially the procurement.
"There is a systematic frustration of suppliers where there is over-reliance on certain officers who have resulted to manipulation of financial systems and over-dependence leading to unnecessary delays," noted the report.
It has also recommended "weeding out of rogue county officers who have conspired to delay payments to new contractors and continue to pay old contractors," it says.
Parsitau refused to comment on the report, saying only the governor would make a statement.
(Edited by P. Wanambisi)
