The State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries has come under intense pressure from Members of Parliament over costly project variations, with lawmakers insisting that Principal Secretary Betsy Muthoni Njagi must take full responsibility for projects under her watch regardless of when they were initiated.
The National Assembly Committee on Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation accused the department of weak project oversight, saying poor planning, inadequate feasibility studies and lax supervision have triggered expensive contract variations that continue to drain public funds.
Appearing before the committee on Wednesday, Njagi was put to task over the implementation of ongoing projects, with legislators demanding explanations for ballooning costs, project delays and the safeguards in place to protect taxpayers' money.
The Lawmakers acknowledged that some delays, including those caused by heavy rainfall, could be attributed to force greaterarguing that technical challenges such as geotechnical conditions should have been identified during feasibility studies and project design instead of emerging after construction had already begun.
Lawmakers singled out the Kidongo Fish Landing Site in Mombasa County, where a series of costly variations raised concerns over the quality of project planning.
The project incurred additional costs for slope protection works valued at Sh.20 million, site levelling and stabilization (Sh.9 million), a cold storage facility (Sh.5 million), solar support (Sh.2.8 million) and an access ramp to the ocean (Sh.2.4 million), prompting MPs to question whether adequate due diligence had been undertaken before construction commenced.
Committee Vice-Chairperson Marwa Kitayama said consultants and contractors responsible for project design and implementation should be held accountable whenever avoidable omissions result in significant cost escalations.
Members also criticized the financial reports submitted by the State Department, saying they failed to clearly distinguish between original contract sums and revised costs after variations, making it difficult to track how public funds had been spent.
The MPs demanded comprehensive financial reporting that captures the full lifecycle of every project from the initial contract value to the final expenditure.
MPs also questioned the priorities of the Kenya Marine Fisheries and Socio-Economic Development (KEMFSED) Programme, arguing that constructing additional office blocks offers little benefit to fishing communities compared to investing in critical infrastructure such as fish landing sites equipped with cold storage facilities.
Responding to the concerns, PS Betsy Njagi told the committee that most of the projects were initiated in 2018 before she took office and said the Ministry had since engaged development partners to address implementation challenges.
Her explanation, however, failed to convince lawmakers, who maintained that as the accounting officer, she bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring public resources are used efficiently and deliver value to Kenyans.
"Once you assumed office, these projects became your repsonsibility regardless of when they started. Kenyans expect accountability not explanations. Ensure every shilling serves Kenyans," noted Joyce Bensuda (Homa Bay).
The committee directed the State Department to submit a comprehensive report detailing project funding flows from inception, a list of contractors awarded the works and the implementation status of every project.
Lawmakers further resolved to conduct joint inspection visits alongside ministry officials, contractors and development partners to independently verify progress on the ground and assess whether taxpayers are receiving value for money.
The committee said it will compile its findings and table a report before the National Assembly containing recommendations on the projects.