After spending Sh373 million on heavy equipment for road construction, Bomet County has little to show for it, sparking widespread concern.
Questions have arisen about whether residents are receiving value for the millions spent on 12 road construction machines and trucks purchased last year.
A whistleblower has reported the purchase to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Controller of Budget, the Auditor General, the Senate, the National Assembly, the County Assembly, and other relevant bodies.
In a letter dated May 16, 2024, following up on a previous one from June 2, 2023, the whistleblower urged these institutions to determine if public participation occurred before committing significant taxpayer funds.
“The machines were bought without inclusion in the County Integrated Development Plans 2018-2022 or the Annual Development Plan 2022-2023, which is legally required,” the whistleblower stated.
The whistleblower also demanded transparency and accountability from the institutions, asking them to verify the allocated budget, the actual cost of the equipment, and the tender process.
“I am requesting your offices to confirm whether the purchase was in the work plan, budget approvals if public participation was conducted and if legal requirements were met.”
Despite the Sh40 million allocated for fueling the equipment in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, road upgrades have only been completed in eight out of 25 wards in five sub-counties—Bomet East, Bomet Central, Chepalungu, Sotik, and Ndanai.
This issue has led to an impeachment motion against County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Roads, Public Works, and Transport Erick Kipkoech Ngetich.
Mr. Ngetich, along with Andrew Sigei (Finance and Economic Planning) and Dr. Joseph Kirui (Administration, Public Service, and Special Programmes), faces allegations of gross misconduct, non-disclosure of facts, and violation of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act.
The impeachment motion is set for debate next week.
Sigor ward MCA Peter Mutai, who tabled the motion, accused Mr. Ngetich of failing to implement projects approved in the county budget, contrary to the Public Finance Management Act, 2012.
“Despite spending over Sh300 million on heavy machinery, only eight of the 25 wards have used the resources, even with Sh40 million allocated for fuel. This is unacceptable,” Mr. Mutai said.
He highlighted that most of the heavy machinery has been idle for extended periods, indicating poor management and utilization, violating public service principles under Section 10(b) of the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012.
MCAs have also raised concerns about the ownership of the equipment, as the CEC has not provided logbooks to confirm full payment and county ownership.
Governor Hillary Barchok unveiled the equipment in September 2023, attended by notable officials, claiming it would open rural roads at a lower cost compared to issuing contracts, boosting economic growth.
Mr. Ngetich is accused of neglecting county vehicle maintenance, leading to inefficiency in service delivery, and violating the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012, Section 11(a), which requires effective management of public resources.
“The CEC has failed to justify Sh195 million spent on major roads and Sh78 million on cross-cutting roads in 2023-2024. With no visible projects, it suggests misappropriation,” Mr. Mutai stated.
“This indicates incompetent leadership and poor management of county resources, as the machinery was supposed to serve all wards equally.”
Mr. Ngetich also failed to provide detailed expenditure reports when requested thrice by the County Assembly Committee on Roads, Transport, and Public Works, violating good governance principles.
“He has not addressed the growing number of unexplained pending bills, reflecting gross incompetence and mismanagement of county resources.”
Mr. Ngetich defended himself, citing heavy rainfall and floods earlier in the year as reasons for delayed road projects.
However, since the rains subsided, road upgrades have not resumed, raising public concerns about the machinery’s whereabouts.
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