Governor Gladys Wanga appeared before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday to respond to a series of audit queries touching on financial management in Homa Bay County.
The session, chaired by Senator Moses Kajwang, saw senators demand explanations over several issues raised in audit reports.
Members of the committee, including Senators Edwin Sifuna, Samson Cherargei, Enoch Wambua, Fatuma Dullo, Lelegwe Ltumbesi and Okongo Omogeni, questioned county officials over what they described as inconsistencies in procurement and financial records.
A major area of concern was fuel procurement, where senators pointed to discrepancies in supporting documents.
The committee noted that some records contained arithmetic errors, while others appeared incomplete or lacked the necessary paperwork to support expenditure.
Members argued that such gaps could indicate weaknesses in the county’s internal financial control systems and accountability processes.
During the session, the committee also discussed the Kendu Bay Showground wall project, which had attracted attention due to questions surrounding its cost. Senators clarified that the disputed Ksh21 million figure represented the total contract value for the project.
However, only Ksh10.4 million had so far been confirmed as actual expenditure. The clarification was meant to distinguish between the overall contract amount and the funds already spent.
Governor Wanga defended her administration’s handling of county finances and sought to explain some of the issues raised by auditors and senators. She also addressed concerns regarding the county’s health financing framework, particularly the Facility Improvement Financing system, which is used to support operations in health facilities.
Despite her explanation, senators raised questions over a reported variance of Ksh228 million in collections under the system.
Committee members said the difference required further examination and directed that the matter remain under scrutiny until satisfactory explanations and supporting records are provided.
The hearing formed part of the Senate’s oversight role in ensuring county governments account for public resources.
The committee is expected to continue reviewing the issues raised and may require additional documentation from Homa Bay County before reaching its final conclusions on the audit queries.
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