Governors under fire for ignoring predecessors’ projects
Senators expressed concern that billions of shillings in taxpayer money risk being wasted due to politically driven decisions.
County governors have come under sharp criticism from senators for abandoning development projects started by their predecessors, raising fears of massive public resource wastage and poor service delivery.
Senators expressed concern that billions of shillings in taxpayer money risk being wasted due to politically driven decisions to halt ongoing projects, despite heavy investments already made.
Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute brought the issue to the Senate, pointing to the stalled Sololo Level 4 Hospital that was launched during the term of the first governor, Ukur Yatani.
Seven years later, the project remains incomplete.
"Despite construction efforts spanning over seven years, the hospital remains incomplete, raising serious concerns about access to essential healthcare services in the region," Chute said.
He blamed the current leadership in Marsabit for lacking the political will to complete the hospital, citing delays and poor communication on its progress.
Chute said this had left residents without proper medical care and forced them to travel long distances for treatment.
Other senators supported Chute’s remarks, saying the problem is widespread and not limited to Marsabit.
They warned that the abandonment of projects has become common during changes in county leadership, with little regard for the money already spent or the needs of the people.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale called for a national approach to deal with the issue.
"It is sad that Kenyans have to travel from places like Isiolo to Ethiopia to seek medical treatment because of this kind of negligence," he said.
He added that reports from the Controller of Budget and Auditor General have repeatedly highlighted the issue of stalled or abandoned projects, yet no action has been taken.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei described the problem as "endemic" and warned that governors were either stopping ongoing projects or starting new ones without proper planning or enough funding.
"Billions of shillings are tied up in stalled projects. Governors are either abandoning initiatives started by their predecessors or launching new ones without proper budgets or feasibility studies," he said.
A recent report by the Senate Public Accounts Committee showed that development projects worth Sh7.59 billion have stalled in various counties.
The report linked the stalling to poor planning, delays in the release of funds, and failure to prioritise projects.
"The committee noted that during the FY 2023/24, projects worth Sh7.6 billion are either stalled, incomplete, or behind schedule against their expected completion deadlines," the report stated.
The committee also said that the actual value of abandoned projects could not be fully captured, as some audit reports only gave partial information or noted payments still pending.
"Stalled and incomplete projects tie up public funds and deny citizens essential services. They also increase project costs, as contractors may seek cost variations due to delays," the report warned.
The Senate team cautioned that unless urgent measures are taken, the trend is likely to grow worse, especially during transitions in county leadership.
They urged county governments to focus on completing ongoing projects instead of abandoning them for political reasons or starting new ones without clear plans.