This archive report was first published on 9 May 2021.
Published on May 9, 2021, a businessman in Uasin Gishu County took drastic measures to recover his losses after a contractor failed to pay him for supplied iron sheets.
The iron sheets were meant for the construction of a hospital in Kesses Sub-county, but the contractor's non-payment left the supplier with no choice but to remove the materials from the site.
"I have decided to come and collect my materials after the contractor did not pay. We have experienced losses but we have decided to take this action to cut on more losses," the businessman explained.
He added that efforts to get payment had been futile after the contractor remained unresponsive for months.
The project involved the erection and completion of a modern sub-county hospital, including a maternity block, family planning block, dental block, kitchen, incinerator, laundry, and morgue.
As the businessman confronted the workers on the ground, he urged his hired workers to carry all his materials out of the site.
He further urged the county government to intervene and hasten the payment following the delivery of the products.
Efforts to tame the rise in overdue payments, which affects the cash flows of suppliers, are underway with the Prompt Payments Bill 2021 currently under discussion in parliament.
The proposed law aims to hold accounting officers accountable for non-payment, with a fine of up to Ksh1 million and a jail term of up to five years or both.
