Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has urged counties to hasten the processes of clearing pending bills owed to contractors.
Barasa who is the Council of Governors Finance Committee Chair said counties should start by fast track the process of verifying and auditing pending bills.
“As of September 30, counties had pending bills amounting to almost Sh165 billion and the direction we gave is that any inherited pending bills must be audited and verified and the process is ongoing,” he said.
Barasa spoke at Deliverance church in Mumias town where he had attended a church service on Sunday.
The county boss was accompanied by Speaker James Namatsi, Roads and Infrastructure CECM Patrick Kundu, Majority leader Philip Maina among other executive members.
He called on contractors to be patient as counties’ continue with the verification processes.
He assured the contractors that they should have their payments in the coming months, once audits are completed.
“In Kakamega, I inherited pending bills totalling to Sh1.4billion but so far we have paid Sh800 million as the verification process continues. Once the bills have been settled then economic activities will increase in our areas,” he said.
This, he said, has been made possible through implementation of a policy that ensures pending bills worth Sh200 million is settled every month.
Barasa also noted that delayed disbursement of equitable share has adversely affected running of counties.
On Mumias Sugar, Barasa noted that leaders in the region plan to meet with the current investor, Sarrai Group to audit his deliverables at the milling company.
“We want to know the plan on revival and revitalization; programs to ensure cane development, sugarcane planted in the nucleus, payment and employment of staff. Therefore this meeting will culminate into our next step for the company,” he said.
Mumias Sugar woes began in the 2012/2013 financial year when it started recording net losses before collapsing by the end of 2018 having incurred losses amounting to Sh39.44 billion.
As at June 2018, the company's borrowing, principal loans and interests from in and out of government stood at Sh12.59 billion.