A growing number of completed water projects meant to improve access to clean water in North Rift are now at risk of deterioration, as lawmakers warn that delays in transferring them to county governments are leaving them without proper care and maintenance, despite significant public funds already spent on their construction.
Lawmakers have questioned delays in handing over completed water projects to county governments, warning that the situation is affecting maintenance and service delivery.
Auditor General reports also point to stalled projects worth Sh81.8 million and weak management systems within the agency. The agency has pledged to address the gaps and improve compliance.
The concerns were raised during a session of the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy, which met officials from the North Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi to review audit findings covering the 2018/19 to 2024/25 financial years.
The meeting was chaired by David Pkosing, who led members in questioning why completed projects were still under the agency’s control instead of being passed on to county governments responsible for local service delivery and upkeep.
Members expressed concern that the delay in handover has contributed to the poor state of some infrastructure, noting that without timely transfer, counties are unable to take charge of routine maintenance, which is key to keeping the systems functional for communities that depend on them.
"You need to undertake speedy handover of the complete projects to the Counties so that they can take charge of their maintainance for the benefit of the people," noted the MP.
Audit findings presented to the committee highlighted several issues affecting the agency’s operations. These included delays in completing projects, slow implementation of planned works, absence of a risk management policy, and lack of governance audits over the period under review.
Among the projects examined were the Kosisch-Embobut Water Supply Project and the Moiben-Kuserow Phase 1 Water Project, which were flagged due to implementation challenges and failure to meet set timelines.
The Auditor General also reported that four projects valued at a total of Sh81.8 million had not been completed despite exceeding their planned completion dates, raising questions on planning, supervision, and use of public resources.
"This is contrary to Section 79.2 (b) of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 which states that a public officer employed in a national government shall ensure that resources within the officer's area of responsibility are used in a way which is lawful and authorized; and is effective, efficient, economical and transparent," read the Auditor General's Report in Part.
The committee further raised concerns about the agency’s staffing structure, noting that out of 11 employees, 10 came from one dominant community, representing 91 percent of the workforce. Lawmakers said this goes against the National Cohesion and Integration Act, 2008.
In response, the agency’s leadership, led by CEO Edwin Rotich, acknowledged the concerns raised and indicated that measures would be taken to address the staffing imbalance in future recruitment, while also improving project management and adherence to audit recommendations.