NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 19 – Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has cautioned governors against leaving behind huge pending bills when they exit office next year.
Speaking in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, Gathungu said it was a perennial problem for incoming administrations to inherit liabilities from their predecessors.
She challenged Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu to ensure his administration settles all outstanding debts before leaving office.
Gathungu warned that failure by counties to pay for goods and services already received amounts to fiscal indiscipline and undermines economic growth.
‘’We have seen a perennial behavior of leadership coming in and failing to honor obligations of the county. This is what has been ailing us. Its fiscal indiscipline when services have been provided, goods consumed and then failing to pay because the liabilities were incurred by the previous regime,” said the Auditor General.
She said that failing to settle pending bills was undermining the county economy and if several counties replicated the same, it was killing the country’s economic growth.
‘’As you exit, check what liabilities do you have, budget for them and I hope there is a provision for clearing the liabilities for you to leave in a clean slate, I hope you don’t want to be called again after you exit and make negative headlines,’’ Gathungu cautioned Laikipia governor.
Recently, Governor Irungu had faced sharp criticism over claims of failing to pay more than Sh1.3 billion owed to contractors and suppliers who did the business with his predecessor Ndiritu Muriithi.
Irungu said that his administration was committed to paying all pending bills owed to the county for the five-year period which he revealed was budgeted in the 2026/2027 financial year.
The governor highlighted he would not leave any unpaid pending bills including those of his predecessor.
‘’We are not accumulating any pending bills, what we have done is only to pay previous bills that have been there. We are making sure of all pending bills and we have to match our own source revenue,” said the county boss.
Gathungu further put Laikipia county assembly on the spot for not submitting its audit reports which she said had accumulated to over 100 backlogs.
