This archive report was first published on 14 June 2020.
On April 17, 2020, Nandi County Governor Stephen Sang responded to claims that the county had purchased cement at an inflated cost.
According to a report dated June 9, 2020, prepared by the Chief Officer in the County for the Education Research and Vocational Training, the county would purchase 400 bags of cement for Ksh3,640,000, which translates to Ksh 9,000 a bag.
However, Governor Sang revealed that the figures in the report had been doctored, and that 4,000 bags would be purchased at Ksh 3.6 Million, bringing the cost of a bag of cement to Ksh 910.
His response ignited more questions over the cost of a bag of cement, which many found to be high. A hardware store owner in Nairobi stated that the price of a bag of cement goes for a price of Ksh600 on the higher side, and that the average price in Nairobi is around Ksh550 for wholesale purchases.
Others argued that the cost was justified due to the duration it takes the county to make payments, which can take up to six months.
Reactions to Governor Sang's justification of the figures in the budget included comments from Langat Elijah, who stated, "A good quality Cement is worth Ksh730 in the retail price, I expected less than that since it is in bulk, but according to your figure, a bag is worth Ksh910 which is too high," and Edwin Kiprotich, who stated, "That is normal with credit terms payment. It might take even six months before you get paid so you factor that it."
