Allegations of financial impropriety have cast a shadow over the current Tourism Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua.

Revelations from the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) have brought to light missing funds during his tenure as Machakos Governor.

While examining a report released by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, the Senate Public Accounts Committee raised several concerns.

The concerns bordered around projects that came to a standstill despite being awarded to contractors during Mutua’s decade-long tenure.

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Mutua’s unfinished buildings

One of the popular projects in question is the construction of two multistory buildings that commenced in 2015.

However, the finishing of these builds remains uncertain. The former county governor awarded the contracts in 2018.

The 12-storey building is estimated to have been worth Ksh399 million and the 11-storey building is valued at Ksh394 million.

The OAG’s report raised red flags as it noted that the contractors had since abandoned these projects.

These buildings, initially slated to be completed in eight weeks, have consumed a total of Ksh176 million but remain incomplete.

The audit also shed light on other unfinished projects, including the Mumbuni Dam with an estimated value of over Ksh750 million.

In addition, there are stadiums that were expected to cost around Ksh147 billion.

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Allegations of mismanagement

In sum, the pending projects from Mutua’s ten-year tenure amounted to Ksh1.8 billion, ranking the county among the most financially wasteful.

Mutua also faced allegations of leaving behind substantial pending bills, amounting to Ksh3.1 billion, and Ksh1.14 billion in legal fees.

Moreover, legal fees alone made Machakos County the top-ranking county for contentious legal payments.

The legal bills constitute 37 per cent of all contentious bills incurred by counties.

These allegations tarnish the legacy of the Tourism Cabinet Secretary, who began his tenure in 2013 with ambitious promises.

His tenure was filled with grand plans to transform Machakos County into a remarkable city.

By 2021, his grand plan to build a city from scratch had stalled, with a total expenditure of Ksh1.3 billion.

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