Machakos county government and a group of enraged contractors and suppliers are at loggerheads. The over 100 irate contractors and suppliers have given the county government an ultimatum of seven days to address their grievances.
Addressing the press at Tents Inn, the contractors claimed that the county government has failed to pay them their dues for the work they rendered in the county since 2013.
Shortly before addressing battery of journalists, the contractors formed an association to push for their unpaid dues by the county government.
They claim to have offered services to the county ranging from construction of roads, hospitals, market sheds, distribution of water, and building of the Machakos Peoples’ Park.
The also claim payment for the recarpeting of the 33-kilometre Mwala-Makutano road, supply of medicines and electrical equipment.
They claim that despite completing all the said projects, they were yet to be paid.
According to the group chairman Barkley Mutinda, their efforts to reach the county governor Alfred Mutua have been fruitless.
However, three county executives warned that the claims by the said contractors and suppliers are “outrageous, malicious and politically motivated”.
They revealed that there are ghost contractors and suppliers who purport to have struck deals with the county government with an agenda of soiling the image of top county officials.
In a statement, Elizabeth Nzyoka, the finance executive said the government has been paying the bills and only Sh200 million is pending.
She was flanked by Joshua Musili, transport and Francis Maliti of water who said in April last year, the Treasury started deducting more than Sh900 million the county had used to pay health workers and other staff.
