Billions of shillings could be lying idle in unfinished county projects as the Senate moves to establish why development work is being abandoned whenever a new administration takes over.
The Senate has directed its Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations Committee to investigate stalled and abandoned projects across the 47 counties and establish the amount of public money already spent on them.
The inquiry will focus on projects started before September 2022, with lawmakers seeking answers on what caused them to stop, how much has been paid out and when the works are likely to be completed.
The investigation was prompted by a petition from Tharaka Nithi Senator Mwenda Gataya, who raised concern over the growing number of projects that have been left incomplete after changes in county leadership.
Gataya said the situation was defeating the purpose of devolution, as incoming administrations often choose to start their own projects instead of completing work inherited from previous governors.
“While devolution was intended to ensure the prudent use of resources and the community in service delivery, the frequent abandonment of inherited projects during leadership transitions undermines this goal,” Tharaka Nithi Senator Mwenda Gataya said.
The senator said the practice had led to public funds being spent on projects that residents cannot fully use, while additional money is set aside for new developments.
“The prioritisation of the new leadership’s projects over existing ones has resulted in a waste of billions in taxpayer funds, leaving citizens with incomplete and underutilised infrastructure,” he said.
The committee has been asked to give a clear picture of the projects that are currently stalled or have been abandoned and explain the reasons behind their failure.
It will also be required to establish the funds already committed to the projects and determine the budget allocations and timelines needed to complete them during the 2026-27 financial year and beyond.
Gataya wants the Senate to establish whether the laws and oversight systems in place are sufficient to protect ongoing projects whenever county leadership changes.
He said there was a need to ensure that projects already approved and funded are not simply discarded when a new administration takes office.
But nominated Senator Beatrice Ogola wants the investigation to cover a much wider period.
Ogola said the Senate should look at projects abandoned from 2013, when devolution began, instead of restricting the inquiry to developments started before September 2022.
“Devolution was meant to empower our people, not disempower them,” Ogola said.
She also drew attention to the effect of unpaid county bills on local businesses, saying contractors and suppliers have suffered after waiting for long periods to receive money owed to them.
According to Ogola, some business owners have been forced to shut down after failing to receive payments from county governments for years.
“There are county business people who have closed shop because they have not been paid for the last 10 years. This must be treated as a sign of inhumanity,” she said.
Ogola further questioned how counties are handling their pending bills, accusing some administrations of choosing which suppliers to pay instead of following the age of outstanding debts.
She argued that older debts should be settled first, rather than allowing politically favoured suppliers to receive payments while businesses with long-standing claims continue waiting.
The growing county debt has raised wider concerns about the management of public funds and the ability of devolved governments to deliver services effectively.
Reports by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu and Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakong’o have pointed to billions of shillings locked in projects that remain incomplete, delayed or poorly carried out across the counties.
The projects and their problems have featured in regular reports from the two oversight offices, adding to pressure for county governments to account for funds set aside for development.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said the problem of projects remaining unfinished had become widespread, even as counties continue to receive billions of shillings from the national government.
The Senate inquiry will therefore seek to establish the extent of the problem, the money tied up in stalled works and what can be done to prevent projects from being abandoned each time county leadership changes.