President William Ruto inaugurated a pending bills committee yesterday to verify bills owed to suppliers by counties, national government and State agencies amounting to Sh640 billion for payments.

The head of State, however, faulted the composition of the Pending Bills Verification Committee unveiled yesterday by National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u. Speaking during the launch of the committee at State House, Nairobi, Ruto termed the committee as “unconstitutional”, noting that it does not meet the two-thirds gender threshold.

“Before I make very brief remarks let me just assist my CS with some housekeeping manenos. I am not a very good mathematician but being a scientist, I know something about maths. When I looked at the composition of the committee it was clear to me that it was unconstitutional because it lacked the gender balance,” he said.

The Head of State proposed that the CS either reduce the number of men in the committee or increase that of women to meet the two-thirds gender rule.

“There are only four women out of a whole committee of 20. So, I respectfully suggest Mr Minister that you either reduce the number of men or you add the number of women so that it is constitutional,” said Ruto.

He added: “It is time we begin to live in accordance with the principles of the Constitution without paying lip service.”

The Pending Bills Verification Committee is chaired by former Auditor General Edward Ouko. It is tasked with auditing government’s pending bills accrued between 2005 and 2022.

In June this year, the Cabinet approved the establishment of the special committee to look into the public pending bills which will establish the authenticity of funds owed to small enterprises.

According to the Cabinet meeting held in June, the National government bills from June 2005 to June 2022 stand at Sh481 billion, while counties owe Sh159.9 billion.

The cabinet resolved that the committee would consist of the Attorney General, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, the State Department of Roads, the State Department of Public Works, and the State Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Engineers of Kenya, and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya also have representatives on the committee.

President Ruto vowed to sort out the pending bills issue, saying that genuine public sector pending bills will be the first items to be charged in the government budget. He said it is time the government sorted out the sticky issue in a just and fair manner, explaining that it is not the business of the government to drive enterprises to ruin but to facilitate their performance.

“We must restore confidence in the people who do business with the Government by paying them in time,” Ruto said. The President noted that the move will stimulate economic revival by pumping back the much-needed capital in production.

Present during the launch were Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Ndung’u, Attorney General Justin Muturi, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Principal Secretaries, among others. AccorRuto said the government owes its suppliers, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, more than Sh600 billion.

“When we pay in time, we will bring discipline in our country’s fiscal management.” The president noted that delayed payments is not only increasing the government’s debt but complicating the budget making process.