Members of the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education have raised concerns over stalled infrastructure projects at Kagumo Teachers’ Training College in Nyeri County.
The committee questioned why a project estimated at Sh170 million has remained incomplete for more than a decade despite millions of shillings being spent on its construction.
The MPs, led by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, raised the concerns on Tuesday while examining Auditor-General reports covering the college for the financial years 2018/19 to 2024/25.
The committee also questioned why a generator purchased for one of the projects has remained unused for about 11 years.
The Auditor-General’s representative told the committee that a project comprising classrooms, staircases and washrooms had stalled for more than 13 years.
A physical verification conducted on January 10, 2025, established that the project was still far from completion, with only exterior walls and shutters constructed on one side of the building.
The audit further raised questions over a generator procured for the project but which had neither been installed nor formally handed over to the college.
MPs question stalled Kagumo college projects
Kagumo Teachers’ Training College Chief Principal Irene Mwangi confirmed that the project remained stalled, saying the institution had not received the development funds required to resume construction.
“It is true we have a stalled project … Nothing has changed,” Mwangi told the committee.
She attributed the delay partly to the project’s initial implementation by the Ministry of Public Works and the fact that the college had not formally taken over some of the facilities.
The explanation, however, did not satisfy some MPs, who questioned why the generator had remained idle for more than a decade.
Kiminini MP Maurice Kaikai Bissau described the situation as unacceptable, saying public resources should not remain tied up in an incomplete facility for years.
“It shows a lot of incompetence. You cannot have a white elephant for 11 years,” Bissau said.
He also questioned why successive college administrations had failed to resolve the matter.
Mwangi explained that the generator had been received by the Ministry of Public Works and was yet to be formally handed over to the college.
She said the supplier had retained the keys because the generator had not been handed over and paid for under the original project arrangements.
Former Kagumo chief principal Francis Mwangi, who served between 2018 and 2022, supported the explanation.
He told the committee that the project had been implemented by the Ministry of Public Works rather than the college.
He said the institution had previously followed up on the matter, including engaging the ministry over a dispute involving the contractor.
According to him, the generator could not be put into operation because it had never formally become the property of the college.
The committee directed the college management to write to the relevant authorities within 72 hours seeking intervention over the stalled project and the unused generator.
Bissau said he would use his position on the National Assembly committee responsible for housing and public works to pursue the matter with the Ministry of Public Works.
Sotik MP Francis Sigei, however, called for officials from the Ministry of Public Works to appear before the committee and explain why the project had remained unresolved for years.
“The Ministry of Public Works has a problem. Why should we go round? Why can’t they give an answer?” Sigei asked.
The MPs also questioned discrepancies between figures contained in the Auditor-General’s report and those presented by the college regarding the project’s contract value and level of completion.
Kasipul MP Boyd Were, who serves as the committee’s vice chairperson, observed that the amount paid appeared disproportionate to the reported level of completion.
Sigei also demanded clarification over the variations in the figures presented to the committee.
Mwangi acknowledged that one of the figures contained an error, clarifying that the correct value of the project was approximately Sh170 million.
MPs question alleged double payments
The committee also raised concerns over allegations of double payments to staff at the institution.
Were questioned the argument that lack of funds was the main reason for stalled development projects while public resources were allegedly being lost through irregular payments.
He urged the college management to strengthen financial controls and called for the committee to visit the institution to assess the progress of the projects.
The committee was also briefed on the stalled second wing of the college hostel, whose anticipated cost was about Sh65.2 million.
According to the Auditor-General’s representative, works valued at approximately Sh57.2 million had been implemented by different contractors in three phases.
About Sh49.3 million was expected to be financed by the Ministry of Education, while the college was expected to contribute approximately Sh7.9 million.
A physical verification conducted on January 13, 2025, established that only one section of the hostel had been completed, while another section had remained at slab level since 2020.
Mwangi confirmed the findings, saying the college had prepared bills of quantities and requested funding to complete the unfinished section but had not received the required resources.
The principal also told MPs that the Ministry of Housing had started construction of another hostel at the college after declining to complete the stalled project.
The new facility is expected to accommodate about 680 students.
Mwangi said construction began in February 2026 and was ongoing, although the project had encountered challenges related to ground conditions.
She said contractors were forced to excavate deeper after encountering difficulties in establishing stable ground.
The clearing of a forested area had also not been adequately provided for in the initial bills of quantities, she said.
Bissau questioned the pace of construction, noting that the project had been under construction for several months but remained at slab level.
He urged the college management and local political leaders to closely monitor the project to ensure students benefit from the additional accommodation.
The committee said it would pursue the outstanding issues with the relevant ministries and indicated that it could visit Kagumo Teachers’ Training College to assess the stalled and ongoing projects.
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