A storm is brewing in the counties as senators lay bare the anguish of small contractors who have waited over ten years for payment—many now bankrupt, homes auctioned, and businesses destroyed after taking loans to deliver on government contracts that remain unpaid.

The shocking accounts emerged during sessions of the Senate County Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’, as governors were grilled over longstanding unpaid bills.

The spotlight fell on Tharaka Nithi and Garissa counties, both flagged for failing to pay contractors dating back to the 2014–15 financial year.

The committee heard how some suppliers, owed as little as Sh150,000, have been ignored for nearly a decade, while large contractors with recent multimillion-shilling tenders are paid on time.

“It is unacceptable that county governments are rewarding big firms while small traders—who often take loans just to deliver on contracts—are left to suffer,” one senator said.

In Tharaka Nithi, the committee questioned why Sophia Enterprises, which supplied food to Chuka Hospital in 2014–15, had never been paid despite submitting all required documents.

“What could be the reason Sophia Enterprises, which supplied food in 2014–15, would remain unpaid to date?” Kajwang’ asked. “How can one person have five invoices for food supplies from 2014 and you fail to pay even one?”

Governor Muthomi Njuki, who was not in office at the time, told the committee that the county had not verified whether the goods were actually delivered.

“We have documents for the supply, but we are yet to validate that the goods were delivered,” Njuki said. But Kajwang’ pushed back. “You have the LSO number, the invoice and the delivery note. What more do you need to confirm payment?”

To make matters worse, Sophia Enterprises has never been contacted for further documentation. “This is unjust. This is unfair. This is unacceptable,” Kajwang’ said. “For 10 years, you’re still verifying whether someone delivered meat to a hospital?”

The governor insisted he would not authorise payment of unverified claims for fear of audit queries. But senators said the delay defies logic, especially with a dedicated verification team in place. Tharaka Nithi’s pending bills now stand at Sh400 million.

Garissa County also came under fire for paying just Sh500,000 to a supplier owed Sh1.6 million since 2014, even as the county spends on renovating national government houses.

“Let us prioritise. If you’re still holding onto bills from 2013–14, and you were governor at that time, then you’re fake,” Kajwang’ said during his grilling of Governor Nadhif Jama.

The senator described the situation as a life-and-death crisis. “This is as bad as death. Some of the affected contractors have ended up taking their own lives,” he said. Garissa’s unpaid bills now exceed Sh2.4 billion.

A report by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o shows that total pending bills across the 47 counties had hit Sh172.51 billion by the end of March. The Senate is now demanding a comprehensive audit of all outstanding debts, with a focus on those owed to small and medium-sized businesses.

Lawmakers are also calling for stronger enforcement against counties that delay or avoid paying verified claims. For many affected contractors, the only hope left is that justice, long delayed, will finally be served.