CoB: Sh13 billion diverted by counties amidst pending bills crisis
“Imagine my office has approved pending bills but a county, after receiving the money, goes to pay bills.... for us, we could not know until the approved pending bills come to our office to complain,” Nyakang’o shared.
The Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, has raised alarm over widespread financial indiscipline within Kenya's county governments, pointing out that taxpayer funds are at risk due to the diversion of funds meant for pending bills.
Nyakang’o’s office has noted that certain counties are choosing to settle unapproved bills, leaving verified pending bills unattended.
A study conducted by the Parliamentary Budget Office revealed that 15 counties altered 15,008 approved transactions, diverting Sh13.2 billion to unauthorized payments.
"Imagine my office has approved pending bills, but a county, after receiving the money, goes to pay bills for us, we could not know until the approved pending bills come to our office to complain," Nyakang’o shared.
The situation is particularly concerning in Kisumu County, where Sh3 billion in pending bills are unaddressed, yet Sh2.6 billion was misallocated.
Similarly, Kajiado County faces Sh2.3 billion in pending bills, with Sh2.2 billion of it diverted for unauthorized uses under Governor Joseph Ole Lenku’s leadership.
In Busia, Bomet, and Mombasa counties, financial mismanagement has also been flagged. Busia County is grappling with Sh2.1 billion in altered transactions, while Bomet County diverted Sh2.1 billion.
Mombasa County’s Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir’s administration also faces scrutiny for misdirecting Sh921 million.
Nyakang’o’s office is now pushing for greater transparency by requesting viewing rights to counties’ treasury records.
"We have applied for viewing rights... because as at now we can only approve payments, but we don’t know what is paid at the end of the transaction," she stated.
Senator Moses Kajwang’, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee, has urged law enforcement to investigate the misuse of funds and hold the responsible parties accountable.