ELDORET, Kenya – Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii has clashed with his predecessor Jackson Mandago over stalled projects which has cost millions of tax payers money with little or no work done.
Bii yesterday sought to exonerate himself from blame over the ghost projects which have been flagged off by the Senate Public Accounts Committee.
According to Bii, the ghost projects were initiated by Mandago towards the end of his term as governor and should be blamed.
Bii said the projects that Mandago started projects worth millions of shillings as he was clearing his term and the burden of completing them now rests on his regime.
“I will not accept to be dragged into political blame. Senator Mandago should stop interfering with my leadership and account for the ghost projects initiated during his term,” said Bii.
During its tour of the county last week, Bii was hard-pressed to explain to the Moses Kajwang’-led committee the status of some incomplete projects despite the contractors pocketing millions of shillings.
Among key projects cited by the senators include the Sh700 million Kipchoge Stadium,
Sh600 million 400-bed at Ziwa Level Four Hospital and a special needs assessment centre valued at Sh2.4 billion.
“It is time governor’s take responsibility and account for tax payers money instead of heaping blame on their predecessors. The moment you take over, all the affairs of the county rests squarely on your shoulders,” said Kajwang’.
Residents have demanded immediate action from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over what they called waste of tax payers money in the county which is the hometown of President William Ruto.
“Governors from this region are operating with alot of impunity. They think they are immune to prosecution because of supporting the President. This should stop,” said Vincent Chirchir, a resident.
The special Needs Assessment Centre initiated my Mandago at a cost of Sh2.4 billion which is the largest budgeted project among the stalled initiatives was designed to serve children with disabilities.
The construction site shows minimal progress despite substantial funding allocation.
The transition to Bii’s administration has not resolved the construction delays, raising questions about project management continuity and contractor oversight.
Site inspections by the Senate Public Accounts Committee revealed abandoned construction equipment, deteriorating incomplete structures, and missing contractors across three locations in the county.
“Uasin Gishu County’s development projects are facing serious allegations of financial misconduct. We discovered a troubling trend where contractors are receiving full payments for work that remains unfinished on important infrastructure projects,” said Kajwang’, also the Homabay Senator.
For instance, at Ziwa Level Four Hospital,contractors received complete payment for unfinished phases.
The committee also noted multiple projects abandoned for over two years despite full disbursement of funds.
“There is massive irregular tendering processes, including initiating phase three contracts before completing earlier phases,” noted the committee.
The findings echo similar concerns raised in other regions, such as the ongoing investigations into the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, where ex-officials were grilled by the Public Accounts Committee over audit findings revealing misappropriation of funds.
The absence of effective oversight mechanisms has created opportunities for potential corruption, according to the committee.
“We were surprised to find all abandoned projects. Contractors awarded tenders left the sites over two years ago after full payment without completing work,”said Kajwang’.
According to the committee, the suspected misappropriation of funds has caused a significant setback in the county’s development plans, impacting various sectors such as healthcare and sports infrastructure.
The committee which grilled Bii at the county assembly questioned the allocation of funds to abandoned projects and raised concerns about spending priorities that showed minimal community benefit.
Locals have demanded for an immediate audit of all payments made to contractors and
public disclosure of project timelines and completion status.
” EACC must act now. Each day of delay means more opportunities for evidence tampering and further misuse of public resources,” a resident said.
