Governor Lusaka forms panels to audit workforce, pending bills

Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka has formed committees to conduct forensic audits on the county workforce, pending bills and a scholarship scheme started by his predecessor.

Each sub-committee comprises five members and they have two weeks to present their reports to the governor.

On Thursday, Mr Lusaka, who toppled Wycliffe Wangamati in the August 9 elections, paid an impromptu inspection visit to Bumula Sub-County Hospital, where he announced the new teams. This was his first public visit since he was sworn in last Thursday.

“As of last week, reports showed that the county has over Sh1 billion in pending bills. We want to audit and ascertain that all the bills were legit and for work done,” he said. 

“We are not witch-hunting anyone but just want to do work as it is supposed to be done.”

He said only legitimate projects will be paid for. “It is the ghost projects that we are avoiding to pay,” he said.

Mass employment

The governor also said there was mass employment of casual workers towards the end of the campaign period, describing the hiring as suspicious.

“All we are doing is to verify that everyone that was absorbed as a casual worker was qualified and that correct procedures were followed,” he said.

“A good number of casual workers have suffered for the past four years and the court ruled that they get employed by the county, we want to give them first priority.”

On the county scholarship programme, Mr Lusaka said a committee would report on the actual number of beneficiaries and the total amount of money needed to offset school fees arrears.

Decongest referral hospital

He promised to better equip the Bumula hospital so as to decongest the Bungoma County Referral Hospital.

“I have seen that the hospital is in good shape. We will continue to equip it so as to decongest the county referral hospital,” he said.

The governor said he will make more impromptu visits to facilities.

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