Busia Governor Paul Otuoma is facing serious questions over the county’s management of public money after a new audit exposed troubling spending patterns and major revenue leaks.
The Senate County Public Accounts Committee has turned its attention to Busia, accusing Otuoma’s administration of questionable financial decisions that suggest weak oversight and disregard for accountability.
The most controversial finding in the Auditor-General’s report is the county’s decision to spend nearly Ksh.5 million on a consultant hired only to confirm the classification level of a hospital already listed as Level 5.
Senators could not hide their disbelief as they questioned how such a task could justify such a large payout. CPAC Chair Moses Kajwang described the move as a misuse of taxpayers’ money, saying it defied logic to hire a consultant to confirm something already documented.
Kitui Senator Enock Wambua echoed this concern, saying the county had no justification for outsourcing a job that falls directly under the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council.
When pressed, Governor Otuoma appeared unable to offer a clear explanation, instead suggesting there had been confusion about facility classification within the county. His vague defense did little to ease senators’ frustration, who accused his administration of wasteful spending and poor governance.
The matter has drawn wide attention, with many questioning whether the governor has lost control of key county functions or is turning a blind eye to possible corruption within his ranks.
The report also revealed a worrying drop in Busia County’s revenue collection, particularly in areas like parking fees and development permits.
Senators raised alarm that millions of shillings could have quietly disappeared under unclear circumstances.
Kajwang pointed to a sharp decline in collections, citing that physical planning and development revenue had fallen from Ksh.4.9 million to just Ksh.2 million within one financial year.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna added that such a steep drop should have immediately triggered internal investigations, yet no action appeared to have been taken.
The senators warned that this pattern of mismanagement paints a disturbing picture of how county resources are being handled. They questioned whether senior officials were deliberately manipulating figures to cover up embezzlement or if the governor’s office had simply failed to enforce oversight measures.
Either way, the audit findings place Governor Otuoma at the center of growing scrutiny over Busia’s deteriorating financial discipline.
Further compounding the situation, the Auditor-General’s report disclosed that Busia County had been conducting official government business using personal and unofficial email accounts.
This breach of protocol exposes sensitive government data to risk and raises serious questions about data security, transparency, and professionalism within Otuoma’s administration.
The revelations point to deeper systemic failures in how the county is being run and suggest a leadership struggling to uphold even the most basic standards of accountability.
Pressure is mounting on Governor Otuoma to take responsibility and explain how his administration allowed such reckless management to occur under his watch.
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