Under Governor Fernandes Barasa’s administration, Kakamega County has faced intense scrutiny due to severe financial mismanagement and operational inefficiencies.
A recent audit report unveils a series of alarming discrepancies, unsupported expenditures, and stalled projects, painting a concerning picture of the county’s fiscal health.
The audit disclosed significant inaccuracies in the county’s bank balances.
The statement of assets and liabilities indicated a bank balance of Kshs 208,000,170.
However, glaring discrepancies emerged in the reconciliation statements for June 2023.
Stale cheques amounting to Kshs 9,792,320 and unpresented cheques worth Kshs 9,265,335 were inadequately accounted for, raising questions about the integrity of these financial records.
Additionally, payments totaling Kshs. 32,455,743 were reflected in the bank statements but absent from the cash books.
Conversely, receipts amounting to Kshs 973,859,956 were recorded in the cash book but missing from the bank statements.
These inconsistencies cast serious doubt on the accuracy and completeness of the county’s financial records.
Further compounding the financial turmoil, the audit highlighted the county management’s failure to maintain an imprest register, which is crucial for detailing payee information, amounts issued, and due dates.
This lapse undermines the accountability of the county’s financial management. The county’s statement of receipts and payments reflected an expenditure of Kshs 2,438,651,648 on goods and services. However, Kshs 694,318,407 of this amount, incurred by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, lacked the necessary payment vouchers and supporting documents.
This lack of documentation raises significant questions about the legitimacy and transparency of these expenditures.
The audit also uncovered a troubling balance of unrecovered imprests and advances amounting to Kshs 27,071,017.
These balances were due for recovery as of June 30, 2023, but no efforts were made to recover them, further highlighting the county’s inadequate record-keeping and accountability mechanisms.
Governor Barasa’s tenure has also been marred by the accumulation of pending bills. Kakamega County’s financial statements revealed pending bills amounting to Kshs 1,505,298,681, including Kshs 1,277,690,723 in outstanding balances from as far back as 2016.
The failure to settle these bills in the years they were incurred adversely affects subsequent budgets, as these pending bills become a first charge on future budget allocations.
The county’s financial mismanagement is further underscored by numerous stalled and delayed projects.
Payments totaling Kshs 3,018,041,182 were made for ten ongoing projects initiated between 2015 and 2022, yet these projects remain incomplete.
Specific projects such as the Emalokha (Firatsi) Water Supply, Butwehe Intake Works, and the Inyanya Water Supply Project were found to be incomplete, with contractors abandoning the sites.
Similarly, the construction of the Disaster Center Phase 2 and Bukhungu Stadium Phase II has been delayed, with significant amounts already paid out but little progress to show.
The financial mismanagement under Governor Fernandes Barasa’s leadership has led to severe discrepancies, unsupported expenditures, and stalled projects, casting a shadow over Kakamega County’s fiscal health.
The audit report calls for immediate corrective measures to address these issues and restore the integrity of the county’s financial management.
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