Governor Jack Ranguma has refuted reports of the unapproved withdrawal of Sh55 million from the Kisumu Urban Project (KUP) bank account.
“I am well briefed that KUP, a Sh4 billion initiative, has over 70 specific projects in various stages of implementation with invoices being paid to contractors and service providers as they fall due, after the necessary due process, which include measurements by the technical team and approval by the inspection committee and the finance team,"said Ranguma on Tuesday.
He said in a press statement that the recent bank transfers were paid to contractors working on different projects under KUP.
Ranguma said six different contractors from different firms who are constructing model primary schools within the county were paid the money.
“It is instructive that invoices for these payments were received and processing of the payments was ongoing under the supervision and full approval of the former City Manager, Ms Doris Ombara before the transfer and the same was simply finalized by the new leadership at City Hall,” he said.
He further said it was malicious and in bad faith to impute irregularity on the said payments adding that the City must continue to pay contractors for genuine invoices as they fall due, upon verification of value for money, if implementation of the ongoing KUP projects is to be completed in time.
He said he is satisfied that KUP has a firm institutional framework and the public should not be misled that the project is in any risk due to the recent changes at the City.
Ranguma said the project is managed through well structured organs, including the Project Implementation Unit that is in charge of the day to day technical delivery, Project Secretariat compromising heads of various departments implementing the individual projects, which meets on weekly basis, chaired by the City Engineer.