Senators have put on the spot over wanton corruption in county governments, accusing the county bosses of turning the devolved units into their “private properties”.
The lawmakers also put on the spot the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for allegedly turning a blind eye to the financial malpractices in the counties. Stirring up the hornets’ nest was Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, who said the counties have received more than Sh1.6 trillion over the past 10 years with nothing to show for it.
He, however, said that theft of public funds has found its way in county governments, with nepotism and cronyism taking root and most counties stagnating.
The result is hospitals without medicines, impassable or poorly done roads and staggering billions in pending bills, he said.
“The problem is the disease of stealing public money and the idea of getting friends to control the resources of this republic. They fire technocrats and bring their friends and relatives who control the money that they are going to steal,” Mr Onyonka said.
“In my county, Kisii, the Chinese companies are doing roads when the locals have nothing.”
A report by the EACC in 2023 raised concerns about increased runaway corruption perpetuated in county governments, revealing that since the inception of devolution, Sh35 billion had been paid to ghost workers.
Shady dealings and cases of county officials stealing and stashing cash offshore have become the order of the day.
Mr Onyonka cited a case in which governors void payments to control those whose pending bills are cleared. “They void more than 1,900 payments under the Integrated Financial Management Information System. How can you void payments 1,600 times? It means you are stealing.”
West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor said corruption by governors and their operatives has put devolution in a precarious state. He claimed that biases in employment and placements in the counties and empowerment of personal friends and relatives are open and rampant. “The citizens are looking at it as the business of the governor and his people. It is like counties have turned into a private company owned by the governor,” Mr Murgor said.
He added that governors prioritise payments to companies associated with them—either those belonging to their relatives or their own companies that they register through proxies.
“Those companies become the priority when it comes to payments. They first pay themselves. These are not a few companies. There are about 100 companies, or even up to 300 in some places. This drains whatever money there is for bills that are supposed to be paid and spread to other companies so that there is circulation of money among other companies,” he said.
Mr Murgor accused the EACC of being complicit as some of its officers sent to counties are bribed by governors to look the other way as looting goes on.
“These governors and their people are bribing EACC officials who are just busy collecting money. Our position as senators is that our oversight work should be strengthened. Recommendations from audit reports should be actioned and people should go to jail so that it becomes a lesson to others,” Mr Murgor said.
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua said that most counties are under the capture of governors, whom he accused of being obstacles to success and progress. He decried the general pilferage of public resources and outright disregard for accounting procedures in most counties. “I have heard a senator here lamenting twice, or maybe thrice, that their governor or their government calls to void Ifmis transactions 1,600 times. I say some things can only happen in Kenya,” Mr Wambua said.
“How can you void Ifmis transactions 1,600 times and pretend to do a clean job? The matter is then taken to the EACC and other investigating agencies and somehow a way out is found.”
The Senate deputy minority leader cited casualness in the handling of county resources, saying that must be stopped.
“Our governors must know, if they do not know, that they do not own the counties. They are just stewards of public resources. It is expected of them to be vigilant and act responsibly in the management of those resources.”
