Meru Governor Committed to Clearing Pending Bills

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza appeared before the Senate Public Accounts Committee and expressed her commitment to settling outstanding bills inherited from the previous administration. During the session chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang in Nairobi, Ms Mwangaza stated that she had implemented measures to address the issue, aiming to clear Sh700 million in genuine pending bills. However, she also identified Sh500 million as fictitious.

The Governor attributed the accumulation of pending bills to factors such as delayed disbursement from the exchequer, ongoing work at the end of the financial year, and failure to meet revenue collection targets. Ms Mwangaza assured the committee that in the previous financial year ending in June 2020, the Meru County government had already paid Sh1 billion towards offsetting the previous year’s pending bills. She further committed to allocating budgetary provisions for similar purposes during her tenure.

Regarding her government’s restructuring, Ms Mwangaza mentioned reducing the number of Chief Officers from 21 to 7 during her appointment. Additionally, out of the 1,300 casual workers she inherited, she ensured that 532 were employed on contractual terms.

Committee Vice Chairman Samson Cherargei stressed the importance of clearing pending bills before the start of the next financial year. He emphasized that delays in addressing such matters had previously resulted in contractors and suppliers suffering for extended periods.

Overall, Governor Mwangaza affirmed her dedication to resolving the issue of pending bills, distinguishing between genuine and fictitious ones, and taking necessary steps to prevent the problem from persisting into subsequent financial years.