The Turkana County Governors residence is still under construction 8 years down the line, despite the contractor been fully paid.

According to a report by Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), the residence was initially contracted at KSh90 million, but the cost now runs to KSh300 million over the years.

CPAC Chairperson Moses Kajwang also rued that the Turkana County Governor’s office was also not complete 9 years down the line.

‘No electricity; contractor fully paid‘

The office was contracted at KSh800 million, with Kajwang claiming that the contractor has been fully paid too.

“Interestingly, the contractor bought electrical equipment (AC’s) worth KSh84 million no electricity has been installed,” Kajwang, who is also the Homa Bay Senator, rued.

CPAC now wants officials in former Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok’s administration held accountable for inflated construction costs as well as the county’s pending bills.

Inflated pending bills

During a Senate Mashinani sitting in Lodwar town on Septeber 26, 2023, current Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai said that the assumption of office of governor committee declared pending bills amounting to KSh7.2 billion in its handover report.

“When we carried out a verification exercise, we found out that the eligible pending bills were only KSh2.16 billion out of the KSh7.2 billion which was declared by the assumption of office committee when I came to office with the rest constituting ineligible pending bills,” said Lomurukai.

Senator Kajwang, while quoting the audit report for financial year 2020/2021, accused the previous county administration of conspiring to steal KSh5 billion of public money.

“The findings in the audit report for the financial year 2020/2021 for Turkana county is sickening… no wonder the county has got little to show for over KSh100 billion allocated to it since the advent of devolution 10 years ago,” Kajwang said.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Mutuku