Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has vowed not to pay Sh680 million in pending bills, insisting that the claims are unverified and questionable.
Appearing before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), Waiguru disputed the findings of the Auditor General’s report, which indicated that Kirinyaga County’s pending bills stood at Sh1.2 billion. She argued that many of the claims lacked supporting documents and could not be verified.
“We are disputing the Auditor General’s report on the verification of pending bills in Kirinyaga County,” Waiguru told the committee on Monday. “Although these figures are attributed to the Auditor General, the county government cannot accept them as accurate.”
According to the verification report, some of the bills date back to before Waiguru took office. While she acknowledged Sh513 million in pending bills and confirmed her administration was working to clear them, she dismissed the remaining Sh680 million as fictitious and ineligible for payment.
Committee Chair Senator Moses Kajwang’ raised concerns over the prolonged delay in settling the bills, warning that withholding payment was hurting small business owners.
“You seem to be up to date with pending bills accrued during your tenure, but what about the older ones?” Kajwang’ questioned.
However, Waiguru stood firm, stating that some of the claims had remained unresolved for over eight years.
“The straightforward answer is that we cannot pay because we cannot verify the documents or the services provided,” she said, adding that she had raised the matter with the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council, chaired by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
She also accused the Auditor General’s office of inflating the figures, making it impossible for the county to settle the claims.
Waiguru alleged that internal verification had revealed that more than 200 invoices were generated in the four months leading up to the 2017 general election, yet no services were rendered.
“Most of the companies that issued these invoices were owned by one individual,” she claimed.
Senators Fatuma Dullo, Enoch Wambua, and Edwin Sifuna urged Waiguru to engage the Auditor General’s office to find a solution to the long-standing issue.
“You cannot ignore this matter because these pending bills are recorded in the county’s financial statements. Your officers signed off on them, and that makes them legally binding,” Senator Kajwang’ cautioned.
Senator Sifuna advised Waiguru to seek an Executive Committee resolution declaring some of the claims inadmissible, which could serve as legal protection against potential lawsuits. In response, the governor promised to draft the resolution and submit it to the County Assembly for approval.
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