KISUMU, Kenya, Jul 2 – A section of contractors in Kisumu stormed the County Treasury on Friday protesting inordinate delays in payment of pending bills, some dating as far back as 2014.
The contractors who sought audience with the County Executive Committee Member in charge of Finance, George Okongo, questioned why payments in respect to works they undertook some two years back were yet to be effected yet contractors recently worked to upgrade a local stadium had been paid.
Kisumu County has been struggling to pay pending bills dating way back to 2014 during the reign of former Governor Jack Ranguma.
Calvins Omondi, a contractor, said the county government had failed to heed its earlier pledge to prioritize the payments.
“The county has been back and forth in its attempt to pay the pending bills,” he said.
Omondi said some contractors had sunk into depression with creditors, mostly banks auctioning their assets to recover loans.
Several county enforcement officers were called in to calm the situation as the irate contractors tried to storm Okongo’s office situated on the 4th floor at Huduma Centre.
“We want the county to pay as per the schedule on first come first serve basis, this is pure favouritism,” said one of the contractors who cited the payment of contractors who worked to upgrade the Jomo Kenyatta Sports Complex ahead of the June 1 Madaraka Day celebrations.
In the 2021/22 financial year budget, the county allocated Sh800 million to go towards settling part of the pending bills.
While contractors put the pending bills at Sh2 billion, the county maintained that after an audit, pending bills stood at Sh1 billion.
There were reports of a meeting between Okongo and the aggrieved contractors.
