Bungoma Senator David Wakoli has called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the alleged irregular payment of Sh136 million towards the construction of the stalled Bungoma County Executive office block raising concerns over possible misuse of public funds.

Wakoli questioned how the county government approved and released millions of shillings to the contractor despite the project remaining incomplete more than two years after its launch.

He insisted that those responsible should be held accountable to safeguard public resources and restore confidence in the management of county finances.

The 10-storey County Executive office block was launched on December 7, 2023, by Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka at an estimated cost of Sh498 million.

 The project was expected to be completed within 156 weeks and was envisioned as a modern administrative complex that would accommodate county departments currently operating from rented premises.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday after inspecting the construction site in Milimani, Bungoma Town, Wakoli expressed disappointment over what he described as the project’s abandonment saying construction appeared to have stalled immediately after the foundation stage.

“Today I have visited the site where the County Executive office block was supposed to be constructed, but unfortunately there is no work going on. The project appears to have stalled completely,” Wakoli said.

The senator revealed that the only equipment found at the site was a tipper lorry and a concrete mixer, while security guards were the only people present.

 “It is very sad that the County Government of Bungoma has already paid the contractor for this project, yet nothing is happening. The contractor is nowhere to be seen and only security guards are at the site,” he said.

Wakoli claimed he was in possession of documents showing how payments were made to the contractor despite the limited progress on the project.

 “I have documents showing that M/S Centerline Logistics Limited received a total of Sh136 million in batches from the County Government of Bungoma,” he stated.

The senator argued that the amount of work completed on the site does not correspond to the money allegedly paid and urged investigators to establish whether public procurement laws and financial regulations were followed.

He further questioned Governor Lusaka over the delayed completion of the project, noting that the county government continues to operate from leased offices, including facilities at Masinde Muliro Stadium, an arrangement he said continues to burden taxpayers through rental costs.

Wakoli appealed to the EACC to urgently summon the contractor and all county officials involved in the project to establish how the payments were processed and whether there was any loss of public funds.

 “The EACC should move with speed to investigate this matter, summon the contractor and establish how such a huge amount of public money was paid while the project remains stalled,” he said.

When the project was officially launched in December 2023, Governor Lusaka described it as one of his administration’s flagship development initiatives aimed at improving service delivery and reducing expenditure on rented office space.

 “This move that my administration has initiated will go a long way in cutting the costs we spend on leased buildings serving as county offices,” Lusaka said.

The governor described the development as his legacy project, saying it would serve as a one-stop centre for county administrative operations.

 “This is my legacy project. It is a one-stop shop for all our administrative operations and will subsequently consolidate our services to residents,” he said.

Lusaka also directed the contractor to prioritize local residents for both skilled and unskilled employment opportunities during construction.

 “I have instructed the contractor to engage local youths during the construction process as part of empowering our people,” he said.

The governor had projected that the facility, located in Bungoma’s Milimani area would be completed within three years and provide a permanent solution to office space challenges while improving coordination of county services.