The Senate Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds has put Baringo County Governor Benjamin Cheboi and his executive team under scrutiny over the performance of several county-managed funds following concerns raised by auditors over declining funding, loan defaults and inactivity.

During a meeting held on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at Bunge Tower, the Godfrey Osotsi-led committee examined the implementation status of House resolutions on the Cooperative Development Fund, Micro and Small Enterprise Fund, Community Conservation Fund and other county-managed funds.

Committee Chairperson Senator Godfrey Osotsi said the meeting was intended to establish whether the county had taken meaningful steps to revive funds established to support residents or whether some had outlived their purpose.

“A county fund must serve the people. Where a fund is dormant, has no activity or cannot recover loans issued to beneficiaries, the Committee must be told whether it will be revived, merged or wound up,” said Osotsi.

The committee heard that the Cooperative Development Fund had not received funding or made disbursements for several years, while most loans advanced to cooperative societies had defaulted, affecting the fund’s revolving capacity.

Senators also noted that the Micro and Small Enterprise Fund had received no funding during the year under review, while the Community Conservation Fund had gone for several financial years without allocations, raising questions about whether it had achieved its intended objectives.

County defends relevance of the funds

Governor Cheboi defended the continued existence of the funds, saying they were established to provide seed capital for cooperatives, small enterprises and community conservancies while supporting long-term economic and environmental sustainability.

“These funds were created to support communities, not to sit idle. We accept that there have been funding and recovery challenges, but the intention remains valid, especially for cooperatives, small businesses and conservancies that can generate income and support livelihoods,” said Governor Cheboi.

The county executive told the committee that it had initiated measures to recover outstanding loans, review lending and appraisal policies, strengthen monitoring systems and train cooperative societies on financial management and repayment obligations.

Senator William Kisang urged the county to make firm decisions on funds whose mandates overlap and which are no longer delivering value.

“If two funds are serving almost the same purpose, the county should consider merging them instead of maintaining structures that do not deliver value. What matters is whether the money reaches the people and whether recovery systems are working,” said Sen. Kisang.

Accountability pressure mounts

Earlier this year, the same committee examined concerns over county health facilities, including staffing, equipment shortages and operations within the county’s health sector.

The discussions also come as efforts to strengthen accountability and public finance management continue in Baringo County. In June 2026, Transparency International Kenya (TI-Kenya), through its #TupiganeNaUfisadi project, convened a stakeholders’ roundtable bringing together members of the County Assembly, county executive officials, civil society organisations and the media to discuss audit follow-up, project implementation gaps and measures to improve public finance management.

In June 2026, Transparency International Kenya (TI-Kenya) convened a stakeholders’ roundtable under the #TupiganeNaUfisadi project, bringing together members of the County Assembly, county executive officials, civil society organisations and the media to discuss audit follow-up, implementation of development projects and public finance management.

The forum focused on strengthening accountability, improving audit implementation and enhancing transparency in the management of county resources.

The Senate Committee maintained that county funds must remain sustainable and continue serving their intended purpose of supporting residents through accessible financing and community development programmes. Senators said funds that remain inactive or fail to recover loans require restructuring, revival or closure to ensure public resources are used effectively.

The committee directed the county executive to provide documentary evidence on supplementary allocations, strengthen loan recovery mechanisms, review the viability of the affected funds and work with auditors to verify progress during the next audit cycle.

The recommendations add to ongoing efforts by Parliament and governance stakeholders to strengthen accountability and improve the management of public resources in Baringo County.