A Senate committee has uncovered a deep financial crisis at Bomet Water and Sanitation Company (BOMAWASCO), where staff have gone without pay for 19 months and the company is technically insolvent.
The Senate Committee on Public Investments and Special Funds revealed the findings during a field visit to Bomet County, following up on their March 28 meeting with county officials over the Auditor General’s 2023/24 report.
BOMAWASCO’s financial health is dire. The company, valued at Sh275 million, owes Sh250 million in salary arrears and statutory deductions. Its monthly payroll stands at Sh6.5 million, yet revenue collections have drastically dropped—from Sh6.8 million in February to Sh3.8 million in March, and just Sh1.2 million in April.
Committee Chair Senator Godfrey Osotsi expressed shock while addressing the workers: “What makes you come to work? What motivates you to be here every morning yet you have not been paid for over 19 months?”
Apart from the salary delays, the company is also grappling with a 68 percent non-revenue water loss, which translates to an annual loss of Sh89 million. Residents said they had only received water three days before the committee’s visit—raising suspicions that the supply may have been timed for show.
Senator Agnes Kavindu flagged the illegal use of Sh2.6 million in customer deposits, stating that such funds should not be accessed without approval from the County Assembly. The company had borrowed 100 percent of the customer deposits—far beyond the legal limit of five percent—and failed to repay any within the required time.
BOMAWASCO Managing Director Kipngetich Toweet admitted to the situation, noting that the company has only managed to continue minimal operations due to county support, including solar-powered water pumping stations.
In stark contrast, Longisa County Referral Hospital earned praise for making progress on earlier audit recommendations. The nearly completed Dr. Joyce Laboso Hospital, now 97 percent done, is expected to ease overcrowding at the current facility, which operates at 140 percent capacity.
Governor Hillary Barchok defended the hospital’s services, saying, “Whenever I fall sick, I am treated at this facility. All my relatives including my mother are treated here. I use the same laboratory with other patients. Why would I want to be treated elsewhere or even abroad when my people are treated here?”
The new hospital will include an ICU, HDU units, expanded newborn wards, and improved medical waste disposal. A new food contractor has been hired and a drugs disposal committee formed to manage expired medication.
Still, the committee raised concerns about gaps in operations. Senator Hillary Wakili Sigei called for real-time M-Pesa integration to monitor hospital revenue, and the urgent repair of a broken CT scanner that forces patients to travel to Kapkatet for diagnostic services.
While staffing has improved—with a returning surgeon and additional contract hires—other areas need work. The committee recommended gazetting the hospital board, automating revenue collection, and upgrading the under-capacity incinerator. Behind the hospital, inspectors found a pile of rotting, unsecured medical waste that violated environmental standards. Management was given 30 days to fix the problem.
Other issues flagged include an expired ambulance license, weak drug store security, and lack of proper medication labelling. The committee asked for installation of CCTV cameras and biometric access, replacement of old doors, and better shelving in storage areas.
Back at BOMAWASCO, senators rejected Governor Barchok’s earlier description of the situation as “challenges,” instead calling it a “massive failure” and “nothing short of a disaster.”
The committee announced plans to formally request the governor to form a taskforce within the week to investigate the root causes of BOMAWASCO’s collapse and propose urgent solutions to restore its services and financial stability.
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