Narok County’s huge expenditure with nothing to show for it
Narok Senator Ledama Olekina (in blue cap) speaks to residents of Mara Ward in Narok West, next to a collapsed ECDE classroom.
Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu over stalled projects in the county after his administration spent millions of shillings on development since he came to office.
The damning state of affairs comes at a time when a report by the Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o revealed that the county government recorded the highest development expenditure of any the 47 counties in the first quarter of the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.
According to the report, Narok County splashed out at least Sh1.3 billion, representing 30 per cent of their annual development budget, between July and September 2023 alone.
However, an oversight tour across the county laid bare the extent of poor workmanship and projects that are behind schedule, raising questions on whether residents got value for money in the process.
A collapsed ECDE classroom in Mara Ward, Narok West. Collins Omulo | Nation Media Group
In Mara Ward, a pre-primary school classroom collapsed just after completion due to poor workmanship with the county having paid Sh1.4 million to the contractor, according to the area MCA Chepkwony Kipng’eno.
The roof of the building had also been blown away by wind.
Not far from the ward is an abandoned Sh18 million Rongena-Motony Road in Melelo Ward, Narok West, which remains impassable despite the contractor having been paid most of the monies for the six-kilometre road.
In Melili Ward, Narok North, the Sh4 million Enaibor-ajijik hospital has been abandoned despite the contractor having been paid for two certificates raised.
The contractor, Divine Construction Limited has been paid Sh1 million but has not been at the site in the last two months. Bees are camping in some rooms at the hospital which were to be renovated.
During the visit, there was no single health officer at the facility, with one clinical officer busy attending to his farm nearby.
“I am at my farm because there is no medicine here. Patients visit but there is little we can do,” said the clinical officer.
“The last time the contractor was here was in July last year. Four men and a lady sharing a two-bedroomed house. There is no reliable water supply and the toilets are broken,” he added.
Another female health officer narrated how she has been sharing a house with her four male colleagues.
“That is how we operate here. I am forced to stay with male colleagues because that is the only house in this facility. We also have no water and the toilet is broken. It is a real struggle,” she said.
At Enaibor-ajijik Primary School, a single room serves as PP1 and PP2 classroom where the learners have to wait for the upper classes to finish with desks.
At Nchurra Dispensary, the contractor has not been seen on site for the past seven months.
According to residents, the contractor was at the site for just a month before leaving saying he was giving the structural work he had done time to cure.
“Narok County has used so much development money but with nothing to show for it. We want to ensure all projects are completed. I will make sure the governor is accountable by explaining why most of the projects are either incomplete or the contractors have left site,” said Narok Senator Ledama Olekina while spearheading the oversight tour.
In yet another project, the county government spent Sh3.5 million on a proposed dispensary at Entinki Primary School but the building is in a deplorable state. The project stalled after the contractor abandoned the site.
A cow grazes next to Entinki Dispensary in Narok County which is lying in a deplorable state despite the county government spending Sh3.5 million in the project.
Senator Olekina explained that the idea was to have a hospital there to spare residents from walking long distances with patients because the next health centre at Sakutiek, is more than 10 kilometres away.
“The contractors have pleaded with us not to expose them because they are afraid they will not be paid if the truth comes out,” he said.
The contractors said they have not been paid even after raising their certificates leading to many abandoning the projects.
At Mukulit Health Centre in the same ward, a Sh15 million project started in previous fiscal year has since been abandoned.
“This project has stalled for more than a year, yet reports show Narok is the highest spender of development budget. Where is the money going to?” posed Mr Olekina.
Olturuto ECDE project meant to put up two classrooms has also stalled barely two months after being launched in September 2023.
Sakutiek Health Centre, which serves a catchment population of 10,000, has only three clinical officers who also have to attend to maternity cases.
The facility lacks gloves for its maternity with patients forced to buy their own. There is also here is no reliable electricity at the maternity wing with the power backup taken away during renovations.
A bed at Sakutiek Health Centre in Narok County.
The maternity is also in a deplorable state with nothing to show for the planned renovations apart from a coat of paint on the walls.
“Services have now stopped at the maternity during power outages with medics having to use touches. Critical equipment like the sterilizer and the resuscitator have broken down. If not for donor support, this hospital would be grounded,” said an officer at the hospital who sought anonymity for fear of reprisal.
“We made a request for pharmaceuticals worth Sh300,000 but received medicine worth only Sh100,000 although records show we received drugs worth the former amount,” added the medic.
The devolved unit had set aside Sh4 million for renovations but only a few things have been done with the health centre often flooding when it rains.
