Tharaka-Nithi contractors protest over tenders

Police confront Tharaka Nithi contractors and their employees who were holding a demonstration on April 11, 2018 to demand tenders and payment of Sh600m owed by the previous administration. PHOTO | ALEX NJERU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Contractors claim the county has not paid Sh600m owed to them by previous regime.
  • Governor Njuki said his administration is auditing Sh1 billion pending bills inherited from predecessor.

Local contractors in Tharaka-Nithi County on Wednesday took to the streets to demand tenders and payment of Sh600 million owed by the previous regime.

The contractors and their employees marched to Governor Muthomi Njuki's office at Kathwana where they sought to air their grievances.

They accused Governor Njuki's government of favouring outsiders and companies linked to top county officials in the issuance of tenders.

Addressing journalists, Mr Anderson Mutembei, the county contractors’ association vice chairperson said none of their members had won a tender since Governor Njuki was elected.

"We have resolved to hold demonstrations to demand our rights as local contractors," said Mr Mutembei. 

Ms Julia Wanja, the vice-chairperson of the women contractors, claimed the county had also not paid about Sh600 million owed by the former county administration.

"We have all the documents for the work we did and we will be holding demonstrations to the governor's office every Wednesday until he pays us," said Ms Wanja. 

Responding to the complaints, Governor Njuki said he had formed a committee to audit Sh1 billion pending bills that he inherited from his predecessor. 

But he said that most of the unpaid contracts are fake and would not be paid. 

"I cannot pay fake contracts and that is why investigations are going on," said Mr Njuki.