The fate of the purchase of a multi-million headquarters by the Uasin-Gishu County government hangs in the balance following change of guard at the devolved unit.

Former Uasin-Gishu governor Jackson Mandago’s administration had planned to purchase the National Bank building in Eldoret town at a cost of Sh570 million.

However, the Senate wrote to the County Assembly barring Mandago, now senator, from buying the building saying the public would not get value for its money.

The Senate committee on Finance and Budget in its report to the Assembly in March last year said the county government should instead construct new county headquarters.

Koti Moja

In its verdict, the Senate observed that the building was old and dilapidated and it would not be prudent to use millions of shillings in public resources to buy it.

“The building earmarked for purchase is dilapidated, inhabitable and abandoned. Total renovation would be higher than constructing new office blocks,” ruled the committee.

New Governor Jonathan Bii, alias Koti Moja, who took over from Mandago, yesterday said his administration will soon look into all stalled projects initiated by his predecessor.

“We will consider completing them or cancelling them depending on their benefit to the public. I will also soon embark on inspecting all county structures and machinery to ascertain their condition,” said Bii.

The planned purchase of the National Bank building had caused a public outcry with a group of Uasin-Gishu residents also adding their voice to the debate.

The residents wrote to investigative agencies and the Senate to stop the plan by the county government which they said would amount to plunder of public resources.