Trans-Nzoia County Governor George Natembeya come under intense scrutiny over imprudence use of county resources.
While appearing before the Senate, the Governor had a difficult time explaining why he was running some programmes without proper approvals.
Among the issues the governor was summoned to elaborate were uninsured county employees, a Ksh70 million milk program and learning materials for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) that senators wanted clarification on.
Trans-Nzoia Senator Allan Chesang, a member of the education committee tasked the governor to explain why teachers, healthcare workers and other county staff don’t have medical insurance.
An aerial view of senators seated during proceedings in the Senate of Kenya
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Senate of Kenya
The committee equally demanded to be furnished policy documents from the insurance company to substantiate the governor’s claims.
“I think we might have insurance that I know is there, the county government paid an insurance cover to cover the welfare of all employees not just the ECDE teachers,” Senator Chesang stated while asking for the documentation.
Equally, the committee was concerned about why the county signed a pilot feeding programme for Ksh 70 million.
Governor Natembeya in his defense, explained that the county had identified a supplier who wanted to be paid in full. However, the county told him he would be paid after supplying milk which he did not agree to leading to the cancellation of the tender supply.
Since then, the county sought another supplier and had to pay the first supplier Ksh7 million for the milk he supplied before the tender was cancelled.
“The person who was given the contract to supply milk said he was not able to continue doing it. He was paid Ksh7 million for the milk he had supplied,” Governor Natembeya told the committee.
“Currently we are engaged with the new Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC) so that they can supply the remaining balance of Ksh63 million,” he added.
The committee was seeking accountability for how money was spent in supplying milk to ECDE institutions twice per week.
Photo collage of a farmer sieving milk and an individual ready to drink milk in a cup.
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SNV