Kenya Power is under intense parliamentary scrutiny over a Sh274 million payment made to a consultant allegedly absent during the implementation of the Last-Mile Connectivity Project.
The controversy arose after Auditor General Nancy Gathungu flagged the payment in her report for the year ending June 30, 2021. Her findings revealed no evidence of the consultant’s personnel being present at project sites, raising doubts about whether the firm delivered services worth the hefty payment.
“There was no evidence of the consultant’s personnel’s presence at those sites, raising doubt on whether they had been deployed as per the contract,” the audit report noted. Crucial documentation such as attendance records and meeting minutes were reportedly missing.
In response, the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs, chaired by Pokot South MP David Pkosing, has directed Kenya Power to produce a detailed list of all consultants hired and furnish the committee with supporting documents, including site visit logs and inspection reports.
“It cannot be that they were all unavailable. We are talking about Sh274 million paid to people who may not have done the work,” Pkosing stated firmly, warning that those found responsible would be surcharged.
Kenya Power Managing Director Joseph Siror defended the payments, saying they were milestone-based, not tied to continuous site supervision. “The consultant supervises multiple sites per lot, which cuts across several counties,” Siror explained, insisting the payment processes included joint inspection by both Kenya Power and consultant teams.
However, auditors from the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) maintained that even the milestone documentation lacked sufficient detail to confirm the consultant’s work.
The committee has now directed Kenya Power to recover the funds if investigations confirm non-compliance with contract terms. It also raised concerns about missing documents key to project procurement and oversight, such as feasibility studies, progress reports, and technical specifications.
The case underscores broader governance issues at the power utility, including weak procurement oversight and poor record-keeping. Lawmakers are pushing for greater transparency, with the outcome likely to set a precedent for stricter accountability in public sector contracts.
