Nandi Governor Stephen Sang was on Wednesday, March 4 grilled by the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee on Wednesday, March 4, over millions of unaccounted county funds.
In a statement, the committee said there was a troubling pattern of irregular expenditures and systemic financial failures in Nandi County’s 2024/2025 audit reports.
Chaired by Senator Godfrey Osotsi, the session underscored significant accountability issues related to the Facilities Improvement Fund (FIF), the Climate Change Fund, and the Education Scheme.
The hearing focused on the Fcailioties Improvement Fund (FIF), where auditors flagged an extraordinary spike in employee costs, exploding from KSh 540,000 to KSh 24.8 million.
Governor Sang attributed the variance to hiring temporary medical staff following the suspension of 1,899 health workers.
The committee also questioned the Nandi governor about how KSh 15.4 million transferred to Kaptumo, Chepterwai, and Kabiyet hospitals remained unconfirmed, given that the facilities failed to submit financial statements.
Senator Osotsi, who is the Committee Chair, described the situation as a fundamental breakdown in accountability.
“When KSh 15 million vanishes into a ‘no-statement’ void, it is the citizens of Nandi who suffer,” Osotsi said, adding that the committee would not accept bookkeeping convenience as a substitute for transparency and that those statements must be produced within seven days.
Senator George Mbugua noted that a jump to KSh 24.8 million in staff costs is a massive red flag and demanded documented proof that every single one of those temporary workers was properly procured and actually provided a service to the people of Nandi.
In his response, Governor Sang told the committee that the county acted to save the health sector from collapse after nearly 1,900 letters were revoked.
He clarified that these engagements were a stopgap measure that had since been discontinued and pledged to furnish the committee with all supporting documentation to demonstrate that the expenditure was necessary and lawful.
The committee also grilled Governor Sang over the Climate Change Fund audit, which surfaced a glaring KSh 7.23 million omission from the trial balance, which officials admitted was a ‘bookkeeping error’ involving a building asset.
Further, Senators raised alarms over water projects in Kiropket, Kiptenden, and Kapkawa constructed on private land without formal titles or legal agreements, risking the security of public investments.
Auditors also revealed that Ksh50.2 million in bursary transfers lacked acknowledgement receipts from learning institutions.
This prompted a sharp rebuke from Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, who insisted that the people of Nandi cannot be treated as spectators in the management of their own resources.
“To have over KSh 50 million in bursaries floating without receipts while students struggle for fees is a betrayal,” Senator Cherargei told the session. He warned that the executive would not be allowed to hide behind technical classifications to avoid responsibility for every shilling intended for the county’s youth.
Senator Osotsi directed Nandi County to provide all outstanding documents to the Auditor General before the March 31 committee report tabling deadline.
