Contractors storm Nandi governors office over non-payment

Hundreds of contractors in Nandi County on Monday demonstrated against the County Government’s move to delay their pay, months after completion of their work.

The contractors demonstrated over unpaid payments for projects undertaken in the last financial year that amounted to over Ksh 400 million by the county government of Nandi.

The contractors accused the county government of neglect and playing politics and that they had been branded conmen by the governor who wanted to divert attention.

They said most of them have been taken to the credit reference bureau for failure to repay the loans acquired from banks to enable them execute the projects.

Governor Cleophas Lagat is reported to have locked himself inside the office to avoid the wrath of contractors who camped outside his office for hours.

According to Edwin Montei, Nandi contractors are frustrated over nonpayment saying some of them are sick but cannot afford medical attention.

The contractors said that the county government failed to pay the contractors yet the roads had already been inspected and approved adding that the county was purposely evading settling their arrears.

Abdi Keter, one of the contractors, called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate why the county government was withholding their pay, saying they will demonstrate against the governor until they get their dues.

The demonstrators appealed to national government to chip in and help contractors get their money.

Earlier on, the governor had said rogue contractors had conspired with county officials to create fake tender documents awarding themselves road construction works totaling close to Ksh 900 million.

This comes barely a month after another standoff emerged between Embu County Government and contractors and suppliers over non-payment of Sh400 million.

However, Embu County Assembly Speaker Kariuki Mate dealt with the matter after the MCAs passed a supplementary budget to settle the debt.