This archive report was first published on 23 July 2019.
On July 23, 2019, Auditor-General Edward Ouko made a shocking revelation that pending bills in some of the 47 counties amounting to Sh57 billion were fake. This news comes as no surprise, given the rampant corruption and shenanigans that have plagued the counties.
Devolution, which was meant to be a drastic transfer of resources from the centre to the periphery, has instead become a conduit for graft. Corruption, which was once confined to the central government, has been devolved to the counties with disastrous effects.
A special audit has confirmed that only Sh51 billion out of the total Sh108 billion presented by the counties as pending bills is genuine. This raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of the remaining Sh57 billion. Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo has consistently flagged suspect expenditure in the counties, and it is crucial that these loopholes are sealed.
The special audit has also revealed that Sh37 billion presented for verification lacked documentation to support the claims. This is unacceptable and highlights the need for counties to enhance their capacity to scrutinise quotations and evaluate bills.
The cartels that have moved to the counties to take advantage of lax controls and enrich themselves from dubious contracts must be stopped. However, genuine suppliers who do business with county governments should not be driven out by the crooks behind these questionable pending bills.
