PRESS STATEMENT

THE TRUTH ABOUT MACHAKOS PENDING BILLS

INTRODUCTION
On Friday October 9, 2015, a group purporting to represent the welfare
of Machakos contractors met and made misleading statements on
pending bills and or unpaid works and supplies in Machakos that should
not be left uncorrected.
These false and malicious statements were carried by sections of the
media some without even seeking clarification from us, signifying a
rather elaborate scheme to depict the Government of Machakos in bad
light even when our development record is now Nationally and
Internationally acclaimed.
The following are the facts about our unpaid bills:1) Kenyans need to know that pending bills are not unique to
Machakos. The National Government, its Agencies and all County
Governments have pending bills too. The pending bills accrued not
because of reasons of Machakos County making. During the 2013/2014
Financial Year, which was the first year of devolution, devolved workers
including Health workers were paid by the National Government upto
April, 2014 as Transitional negotiations on Transfer and Costing of
functions were ongoing.
In April 2014, the National Treasury started deducting the over Kshs.
900 million that it had used in paying Health workers and other
devolved staff in Machakos. These monies had been initially budgeted for
other projects which had by the time been awarded and committed in our
books and projects already started.
2) The deduction of the cash meant that the budget and earlier
commitments were not supported by actual cash remittance hence the
pending bills. Also during the same financial year National Treasury did

not releaseKshs.400 million that had been factored in our budget as

Donor funds. This further aggravated the situation.
We have however systematically been paying the bills that accrued from
this transitional problems. As per our records the pending bills accruing
todate are below Kshs. 200 million and are for ongoing projects for
community hospitals, Markets, ECDE classrooms, drifts and culverts
which will be paid upon completion and verification before December,
2015.
The claim that we have pending bills of Kshs. 2 billion is therefore
outrageous, malicious and only intended for political expediency. After
all where did contractors who are hitherto competitors meet to compute
this figure?
3) We are aware that only about 34 purported contractors met and none
owe Machakos over Kshs.10 million. Simple arithmetic confirms that
their figure is cooked up.
4) Some of the purported contractors are politically instigated to cause a
crisis and destabilize the Government especially because of the growing
support of Maendeleo Chap Chap movement for Unity and
Development. They are being influenced by very well-known political
leaders who have nothing to show for the many years they have been in
leadership.
5) Some of the persons purporting to be suppliers who we saw on
Television are GHOST contractors who have never done any work for
Machakos. The purported Chairman of the welfare Mr. Barclay
Mutinda and hisHydratech Contractors Ltd were engaged in Hire of
Road Construction Equipment for Machakos Avenue Road which is fully
paid for. They further won a contract to construct an elevated steel tank
at Masii town where he has been partly paid because the tank he
installed was leaking. He has been advised to rectify to the satisfaction
of the Engineers so that he can be paid the balance.
6) The attacks and schemes to fight over Governor Dr. Alfred
Mutua, EBS and his Government are not new. They begun during the

campaigns and only gathered momentum after his swearing in. His
enemies are well known and are the ones behind the current
machinations.
7) On 21st September, 2015 the entire Cabinet and Chief Officers had met
contractors to agree on efficient ways of working together. A working
formula suitable to the contractors and the Government was entered into
by the relevant contracting department, Ministry of Finance and the
contractors. It is therefore not true that they do not get audience.
8) Machakos pays for work done and respects value for money. As such
no works and or supplies will be paid for without Auditing for Value for
Money and for physical presence of the project/supplies. No amount of
political bickering will intimidate the Government to bend the rules. We
are protecting tax payers money.
9) Those who think devolution presented a chance for them to do shoddy
jobs and or loot public resources through cowboy contracts will not be
tolerated in Machakos.
10) Machakos Government has no contractual obligation with a welfare
or an association of contractors and will not engage amorphous
groupings. We will only recognize owners and or representatives of
companies working for us and not political groupings masquerading as
welfare groups.

Signed:
For and on behalf of
Machakos County Government:

.
Hon. Elizabeth Nzyoka Mutheu,

Minister for Finance and Revenue Collection

.
Hon. Joshua Musili
Minister for Transport, Roads, Public Works and Housing
.
Hon. Francis Maliti
Minister for Water, Irrigation and Sanitation