Dairy farmers in Uasin Gishu County are yet to get value for money for the milk coolers’ project, the latest audit report by the Auditor General has revealed.
The National Government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries undertook to supply milk coolers to all counties through registered farmers’ cooperative societies while the County Governments were to undertake the construction of milk cooling plants.
In Uasin Gishu, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu notes that the County Executive awarded thirteen contracts for the construction of milk cooling plants at a total contract sum of Ksh228,586,162 between May 10, 2016, and June 17, 2016.
The contract was for the construction of 46 milk cooling plants that were to be completed within a period of 6 months.
But according to the audit report for the financial year 2019/2020, the county made payments of Kshs43,599,995 for the construction of various milk cooling plants, thus raising the total payments to Ksh244,198,477 since inception.
However, an audit review of contracts, payment records, project inspection reports and physical verification of the Projects revealed several anomalies, the Auditor General notes in her report.
Incomplete milk coolers
In one of the anomalies noted in the audit report, the construction of ten milk cooling plants with a contract sum of Ksh44,861,923 and payments to the contractors amounting to Ksh34,585,910 as of 30 June 2020 were incomplete at the time of verification.
“The construction of six (6) milk coolers with a contract sum of Ksh30,810,992 and payments made of Ksh23,200,961 had stalled and contracts terminated but had not been re-advertised,” added the report.
The audit report in which Uasin Gishu County was given a Qualified Opinion also shows that construction of most of the plants had been completed and coolers installed but were not operational as no electricity had been connected.
“Others were complete but coolers had not been delivered and installed hence the buildings were lying idle,” the report notes.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu further noted that some milk cooling plants had been marked complete yet works, electricity connection, and water at the various sites had not been done.
“Consequently, value for money of the expenditure amounting to Ksh244,198,477 incurred as of 30 June 2020 has not been realised despite the project overshooting the contract amount,” Gathungu said.
