Some Homa Bay contractors are at risk of losing Sh1.08 billion after a task force declared their pending bills ineligible, Governor Gladys Wanga has said.
The Homa Bay government formed the task force to look into the pending bills and the county assets prior to December 31, 2022. The task force is called Pending Bills, Lands and County Assets.
On Thursday, Wanga said the report they received from the team revealed pending bills of Sh1.08 billion were ineligible.
The team found that the Homa Bay county government has genuine pending bills of Sh825.4 million.
Wanga said her administration is not going to pay the contractors claiming any part of the Sh1.08 billion, unless they file an appeal. She said the affected contractors will be given fair and just hearing should they appeal.
“The task force report indicates that pending bills of Sh1.08 billion are ineligible. All affected suppliers and contractors are allowed to appeal for a fair legal and just consideration,” Wanga said.
Speaking during her second state of the county address at Homa Bay county assembly, the governor, assured the contractors and suppliers whose bills are genuine that they will be paid soon.
Wanga said they are waiting for funds from the National Treasury to pay them.
“Let the contractors and suppliers whose pending bills have been approved to remain patient. The government is intending to pay them as soon as we get funds,” she said.
The governor said her administration is committed to transforming lives through people-centered leadership, which involves public participation. She announced they have made an achievement by signing an MoU for projects estimated at Sh17.3 billion.
The achievement came through the Second Homa Bay County International Investment held in February this year.
The MoU includes Oil Palm Production by Afropal Limited, Solid Waste Management by Australian based Arch Ento Tech, construction of a 50-bed Mother and Child Hospital by Yazmark International and Cotton value chain project that will see Rift Valley Products Limited establish a ginnery.
Wanga said they have opened up 255km of new roads in the county, with 320km of new roads under the ward-based projects in the current financial year.
The governor said her administration is committed to ensuring residents get access to adequate safe water.
“We want to increase access to clean and safe water to residents to 50 per cent by the end of our term," she said.
"We want to reduce the walking distance to water points to less than 1km and to increase the sanitation coverage to 60 per cent in urban areas and 40 per cent in rural areas.”
