The Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) has called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the revenue generated from sand harvesting in Kitui County, amid concerns of underreporting and possible mismanagement.
The directive came during a session where Kitui Governor Julius Malombe appeared before the Committee to answer questions on the county’s financial statements for the 2024/25 fiscal year.
The probe will focus on verifying how many trucks transport sand daily and the total cess collected from the activity.
CPAC raised alarms over what it described as under-optimised revenue from one of the county’s major natural resources. “Revenue from sand cess requires thorough investigation,” said CPAC chairperson Senator Moses Kajwang’.
“We direct the EACC to follow up on the matter and take the necessary action as provided for under the Constitution.”
The issue sparked a heated debate between the Governor and Senators over the actual income generated from sand transportation levies. Governor Malombe told the Committee that between 10 and 20 trucks move sand daily, with each paying a cess of Sh5,000, translating to roughly Sh50,000 in daily revenue.
The Committee, however, disputed these figures, arguing that the county had greatly underreported earnings and hinting at possible misuse of funds.
The Governor explained that cess charges depend on truck tonnage, with 10-ton vehicles paying Sh5,000 while smaller trucks of three to five tonnes pay between Sh2,000 and Sh3,000.
He also noted that the number of trucks fluctuates with weather conditions, dropping to as low as five trucks during rainy periods and generating around Sh25,000 daily.
Senator Enock Wambua dismissed these explanations, claiming that at least 100 trucks transport sand daily. He alleged that operators pay Sh6,000 per truck but receipts reflect only Sh1,000, with the balance allegedly pocketed by cartels.
Using the county’s own estimate of 20 trucks daily, Wambua questioned the reported annual revenue of Sh11 million from sand harvesting.
“If 20 trucks each paid Sh5,000 per day, that amounts to Sh100,000 daily, translating to about Sh36.5 million annually,” he said, highlighting a major discrepancy in the county’s reports.
Governor Malombe attributed the low revenue to weak regulation and the previously unstructured sand harvesting system. He said the county has since enacted the Kitui Rivers Basin Sand Utilisation and Conservation Act, which automates cess collection and establishes cooperative societies to oversee sand harvesting.
“I cannot deny that cartels exist. They do. But they are on the run because of the tough measures we have put in place,” he said, adding that the new law strengthens enforcement. The Act mandates that sand harvesting be conducted through registered cooperative societies set up specifically for the purpose, aiming to improve compliance and revenue collection.
