[Kisii Governor James Ongwae in a past event. Contactors from the County have complained over unpaid debts. Photo/Hivisaa.com]
Contractors in Kisii County are up in arms over the failure by the county government to pay their debts amounting to Sh 600 m.
During a stormy session at the county finance offices yesterday, the contractors led by Justus Nyamwega accused the county administration of neglecting their plight.
Police were forced to disperse the protesting contractors who had attempted to gain access to the office of the accountant in charge of their payments, a Mr Obwoge.
Officers blocked off the entrance to the office, directing the contractors to seek audience with the Finance minister, Mr Kodek Omwancha, who was said to be away on official duties at the time.
“We have been meeting the county administration officials led by the governor in a bid to convince them to settle our debts but with little success. Despite the fact that most of us are languishing in debt and are unable to conduct business because of delayed payments, it is clear that this government is not concerned about our plight,” said Mr Nyamwega.
He claimed that the governor met with contractors on Wednesday last week and promised to pay them this week, only to renege on the pledge at the promised time.
“We had a meeting with the governor last Wednesday and he reassured us that our money would be available in a week’s time. It was a bitter pill for us to swallow today when we discovered that funds had not yet been deposited in our accounts,” he said.
Mr Nyamwega said the governor was not welcome to campaign in his home area since he had failed to empower his firm by settling debts owed to it on time.
“We will ensure that he does not set foot in my home area since he has consistently ignored our pleas to settle the debts his administration owes our company,” said the contractor.
The contractors said some of their colleagues were facing bankruptcy due to inability to meet their financial obligations, saying the county government had delayed with their payments dating back to 2013.
“Some of us have debts dating back to 2013 when the current administration assumed office. We are at risk of going bankrupt since we are unable to pay the loans we took to finance the execution of the tenders we got from the county,” a contractor only identified as Samson said.
He told the Nation that he had made several trips to the finance office in a bid to secure the payment for his debts but had so far failed due to what he termed “flimsy excuses, unexplained delays and bureaucratic red tape”.
“Every time I come to these offices to inquire about the status of my payment I always run into a fresh set of excuses, unnecessary delays and bureaucratic red tape designed to frustrate me from getting my legitimate dues,” a fuming Samson said.
He expressed fears that his outstanding arrears would not be settled before the current administration’s term of office expires, saying the IFMIS financial system had stopped making payments for tenders until October.
“We have been told the IFMIS system will not release funds until October, meaning we must wait until after the elections to receive our monies. This has thrown our business plans into disarray,” said the contractor.
His views were however opposed by Mr Kennedy Mariera, chair of the Kisii County Contractors’ Association, who said the issue had been unnecessarily politicized.
“We should not drag the governor’s name into the matter since he is not the one tasked with paying contractors. Mr Nyamwega and other contractors in the protesting group are merely seeking sympathy by making wild allegations aimed at tarnishing the governor’s otherwise spotless reputation,” said Mr Mariera.
He reaffirmed his loyalty to Governor Ongwae’s reelection bid, saying attempts by his opponents to gain political mileage from the contractors’ arrears were bound to fail.
Mr Mariera claimed the demonstration was engineered by the governor’s opponents, saying he would not allow his association to be used to fight their political battles.
“I am a firm believer in the Ongwae administration and have committed myself to campaigning for his reelection. Political rivals who wish to incite contractors to demonstrate so as to smear his reputation will fail since the county residents will vote for him with an overwhelming margin,” said Mr Mariera.
He reassured his colleagues on the payment, saying that they had nothing to worry about despite the delays.
“Once the contractors have fulfilled all the statutory obligations related to their tenders, they shall be paid in due time. What they should avoid is being incited by the governor’s opponents to smear his reputation by making unsubstantiated accusations regarding the tender payments,” said Mr Mariera.
Attempts by the Nation to reach finance CEC Mr Omwancha and his accountant Mr Obwoge were fruitless as calls to their mobile lines went unanswered.