Taxpayers in Kericho lost Sh1.85 million on a borehole that never yielded water, the Senate County Public Accounts and Investments Committee heard on Monday.
The senators were questioning Governor Paul Chepkwony over, among others, irregular procurement and late submission of the 2017-18 financial documents to the auditor general.
Chepkwony had difficulties explaining why the county government spent Sh1.85 million on the borehole that never yielded water.
According to the audit, the county spent the money on Tebeswet Borehole Water Project vide tender no. CGK/T021/WTR/2016/2017 at Sh4,667,043.
The project entailed drilling and equipping of borehole as well as the construction and electrification of pump house and distribution pipeline.
The contractor only drilled up to 160 metres instead of 180 metres specified in the contract.
“However, records available revealed that the borehole did no yield water despite the department paying for the works amounting to Sh1,858,900,” the audit states.
Chepkwony admitted the borehole did not yield water but said his administration paid only for the works done.
“Why did you pay the contractor for drilling 180 metres, yet what he did was up to 160 metres?” Narok Senator Ledama Olekina demanded to be told.
The governor said the project was stopped as there was no assurance that it would yield water.
“It is correct that drilling of the borehole commenced after hydrological investigation was done. The contractor proceeded to drill as per the recommendations of the report,” he said.
Chepkwony was also put to task to explain several irregular procurement irregularities by his administration especially in the Agriculture department.
According to the audit report, the county government procured a contractor for the completion of Kericho County Veterinary office for Sh4.12 million. The nature of the work was not specified.
“The county executive has not demonstrated why restricted tender method was chosen for works that are not specified,” the report states.
Further, three out of the four firms that had tendered were adjudged to have failed at preliminary evaluation stage on the basis of outdated PIN certificates.
“You disqualify firms at preliminary stage yet these companies were prequalified. Did you already have a predetermined company for this work?” committee chairman Sam Ongeri asked.
The governor denied having a preferred firm and defended the use of restricted tendering.
“The county government adopted the restricted tender method because of cost and time consideration,” the governor said.
He added: “Section 73 (2) (b) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 stipulates that a procuring entity may use restricted tendering if time and cost required to examine and evaluate a large number of tenders would be disproportionate to the value of the goods, works or services to be procured.”
- mwaniki fm