Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu has criticized the stalling of projects in the county after his administration spent millions of shillings on development since taking office.
This abhorrent state of affairs comes as a report by Budget Secretary Margaret Nyakango reveals that the county government recorded the highest development expenditure among the 47 counties in the first quarter of the current financial year ending June 30, 2024. It happened at the right time. .
According to the report, Narok County spent at least Sh1.3 billion between July and September 2023 alone, equivalent to 30% of its annual development budget.
But inspection tours across the county revealed poor workmanship and the extent to which the project was behind schedule, raising questions about whether residents were getting value for money in the process.
A collapsed ECDE classroom in Mara Ward, western Narok.Collins Omuro | Nation Media Group
Photo credit: Collins Omuro | Nation Media Group
According to regional MCA Chepkwani Kipuneno, a pre-primary school classroom in Mara district collapsed due to poor construction soon after it was completed, and the district paid the contractor Sh1.4 million.
The roof of the building was also blown off by the wind.
Not far from the district is the abandoned 18-million-louse Longena-Motoni Road in Merero District, Narok West, which still remains despite the contractor having paid most of the price for the 6km road. It remains impassable.
The 4 million lice Enaibor Azizik Hospital in Merili District, Narok North, has been abandoned even though the contractor was paid for the issuance of two certificates.
The contractor, Divine Construction Limited, has been paid Shs1 million but has not been on site for the past two months. Bees are camping in some of the hospital rooms that are being renovated.
During the visit, there were no health workers at the facility, and one of the clinical workers was busy working at a nearby farm.
“I am on the farm because there is no medicine here. Patients come, but there is little we can do,” said the clinical director.
“Contractors were last here in July last year. Four men and one woman share a two-bedroom house. There is no reliable water supply and the toilets are broken.” he added.
Another female health worker described how she shared a house with four male colleagues.
“That's how we operate here. This facility has its own house, so I end up staying with a male colleague. There's no water, there's no toilet. It's broken. It's a real struggle,” she said.
At Enaibor Ajijik Primary School, one room serves as a PP1 and PP2 classroom and learners have to wait until the desks are ready for the upper class.
At Nutura Pharmacy, contractors have not been on site for the past seven months.
Residents said the contractor had been on site for only a month and left after offering them time to repair the structural work he had done.
“Narok County has spent a lot of development funds but had nothing to show for it. We want to ensure all projects are completed. Narok State Senator Ledama Orekina “I will lead a tour and explain why most projects are not completed, why contractors have withdrawn from the site, and hold the governor to account,” he said.
In yet another project, the county government spent 3.5 million lice on a clinic planned for Ntinki Primary School, but the building is in a deplorable condition. The project stalled as contractors abandoned the site.
Cows grazing next to Entinki Pharmacy in Narok County lie in a deplorable condition despite the county government spending 3.5 million lice on the project.
Photo credit: Collins Omuro | Nation Media Group
Senator Olekina explained that the next health center in Saktiek is more than 10 kilometers away, so the idea was to locate the hospital there so that residents would not have to walk long distances with patients.
“Contractors have begged us not to disclose for fear that they will not be paid if the truth comes out,” he said.
Contractors said many are abandoning the project because they have not been paid even after raising their certificates.
At the Mukrit Health Center in the district, a 15 million lice project started the previous year was later abandoned.
“This project has been stalled for more than a year, but reports show that Narok is spending the most of the development budget. Where is that money going?” Olekina posed.
The Orturt ECDE project, which aimed to set up two classrooms, has also stalled just two months after it was launched in September 2023.
The Saktiek Health Center, which serves a catchment population of 10,000 people, has only three clinical staff who also have to deal with obstetric cases.
The facility has a shortage of obstetric gloves, forcing patients to purchase their own gloves. Additionally, the maternity ward does not have reliable electricity as backup power was cut off during renovations.
Beds at Narok District Saktiek Health Center.
Photo credit: Collins Omuro | Nation Media Group
The maternity facility is also in a deplorable state, with no sign of any planned renovations other than a smear of paint on the walls.
“Currently, during the power outage, obstetrics and gynecology services are suspended and medical workers have to operate by touch. Critical equipment such as sterilizers and resuscitators have broken down. Without the support of donors, If we do, this hospital will be shut down,” said a hospital official, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.
“We requested medicines worth Sh300,000 and records show we received medicines worth the previous amount, but we only received medicines worth Sh100,000.” added the doctor.
The decentralized department had set aside Shs4 million for renovations, but little has been done as the health center often floods when it rains.
