General Nancy Gathungu raising concerns over the management of a World Bank-funded project aimed at building classrooms and other facilities. The project, valued at Sh6.7 billion, was intended to address overcrowding in primary and secondary schools, but a recent audit has revealed serious issues, including substandard work, stalled projects, and questionable spending.
Gathungu’s audit highlights the mismanagement of Sh60 million spent on consultancy fees, questioning the validity of payments for consultants who failed to provide adequate supervision. Field visits to Laikipia, Baringo, and Homa Bay revealed that the consultants had no clerks of works on-site, and no evidence of supervision was found. As a result, the audit could not confirm whether taxpayers got value for money from the consultancy services.
The audit also uncovered shoddy workmanship in several schools, including cracked and peeling floors at God Bura and Tonga Boys secondary schools in Homa Bay. Some laboratories lacked essential connections for gas and water systems, and the furniture supplied to schools was of poor quality, with splinters and defects that led to its rejection.
In addition to the poor quality of work, 267 projects worth Sh344 million were found to have stalled in three counties, including Tana River, Kwale, and Taita Taveta. These projects have remained incomplete without satisfactory explanations, and the performance bonds for the contractors have expired, leaving taxpayers vulnerable to potential losses.
Despite the government’s efforts to accommodate learners transitioning to Grade 9, the Education Ministry is under increasing pressure to complete these projects. While 85% of schools have reportedly made progress, the stalled and incomplete projects continue to hinder the ministry’s efforts to meet its targets.
The audit has also exposed procedural flaws in the approval of payments for contractors, with the absence of key school representatives in the approval committee and a lack of required reports and documentation. These revelations highlight the urgent need for accountability and improved management in the implementation of education infrastructure projects.
