Nanyuki: Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has cautioned governors against leaving pending bills as they exit office next year after the end of their tenure. Gathungu, speaking in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, during stakeholder engagement, decried that there had been a perennial problem of county bosses leaving liabilities to their predecessors.
According to Kenya News Agency, Gathungu questioned Laikipia governor Joshua Irungu, urging him not to leave any liabilities to the incoming governor at the end of his term. She highlighted a recurring issue where new leadership fails to honor the obligations of the county, which she described as fiscal indiscipline. This practice, she asserted, undermines the county economy and could potentially harm the nation’s economic growth if replicated across several counties.
Gathungu advised outgoing governors to check their liabilities, budget for them, and leave their offices with a clean slate to avoid negative attention in the future. Governor Irungu recently faced criticism for allegedly failing to pay over Sh1.3 billion owed to contractors and suppliers from his predecessor Ndiritu Muriithi’s tenure. Irungu assured that his administration is committed to settling all pending bills, revealing that these have been budgeted for the 2026/2027 financial year. He emphasized his commitment to not leaving any unpaid bills, including those from his predecessor.
Gathungu also criticized the Laikipia County Assembly for not submitting its audit reports, which have accumulated over 100 backlogs. She challenged county assemblies to address this issue and pledged assistance in clearing the report backlogs.
