A day after Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed irregular spending in devolved units, Machakos County government has come out to clarify queries raised regarding the construction of the proposed county headquarters complex.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti, through Finance and Economic Planning CEC Onesmus Kuyu, sought to clarify that the building in question was conceived and budgeted for by the former regime in 2018.
“The building had been done up to the seventh floor and as we speak now under the leadership of the Governor, she has been able to do five more floors in the past one and half years amidst very competitive choices for money,” Mr. Kuyu said on Saturday.
He further clarified that the issue of cost had never been raised as an audit query, adding that the building could be completed and occupied by the end of this year.
“The issue that has always been raised in the successive years has always been about completion because the Auditor General is obviously concerned with the value for money,” added the CEC.
Mr. Kuyu further sought to clarify the Ksh.178 million audit concerns over Sacco payments and pensions.
“The Ksh.178 million relates to check off arrangements where we deduct money at source on behalf of the staff and remit to the financial institutions where they have taken loans,” he said.
He stressed that Governor Wavinya’s administration will continue to operate within the law.
The remarks come after the Auditor General put Governor Wavinya on the spot to answer questions over a 12-storey building that the county allocated Ksh.399 million for, yet construction cost Ksh.230 million, leaving extra expenditure of Ksh.169 million unaccounted for..
Governor Ndeti also faced questions on Ksh.100 million questionable payments to loans and Saccos, with Gathungu further questioning payment of pension worth Ksh.178 million.
