Machakos County has missed out funds for two years running- first being 2022, the last year under former Governor Alfred Mutua and second in 2023, being the first year under current Governor Wavinya Ndeti.
At the centre of the funding fiasco is Kes 89m that the Machakos Municipalities Board earmarked for a road in Machakos Municipality that the two leaders seem to have vested interest.
The road runs from Kimutwa Workshop and rips behind Lauh Hotel,Women Finance Trust, KFA and links to the road facing Equity Bank.
Our sources say Mutua wanted the funds used for construction of an air strip at the still born New Machakos City but the Board chaired by Mr Malcom Kateta resisted and Mutua ran out of time.
The board, sources say, is fighting for autonomy to be able to run its programmes without interference from central or the County government.
Matters have not improved after the arrival of Governor Ndeti at the Machakos White House. Since May when bids were floated for construction of the road by use of cabro, the tender has not been awarded.
Tired of this administrative dithering, the World Bank has given an altimatum to recall the Kes 89m and pull out of funding the needy Municipalities of Machakos County.
WB donates Kes 1b annually to Machakos County under the Kenya Urban Transport Improvement Programme(KUTIP) to be shared between Machakos,Mavoko and Tala / Kangundo urban areas.
The programme targets improvement of Urban roads to bitumen standards to make the Municipalities dust free and boost standards of living.
Sources tell The Anchor that the current stalemate is as a result of cartels that are opposed to the contractor who won the tender.
" Since May, the winner has not been announced and we suspect that a tooth an nail fight is being conducted so that those allied to the current administration are awarded the works", the source added.
This development exposes an administration that failed to deploy a single shilling to development in the last quarter as citizens wait in dire need.
