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Lawyers are demanding Sh262.1 million from Vihiga County Government for litigation services they extended in various court cases.
This even as the Governor governor Wilber Ottichilo (pictured) led- administration is grappling with Sh625.4 million pending bills owed to contractors and suppliers.

Several contractors, suppliers and other service providers have their debts put under the historical pending bills, some of which date back to between 2013 and 2017.

County is also suffocating from another Sh279.7 million in recurrent pending bills that include unpaid salaries and wages as well as failed remittances of statutory deductions and other pension schemes.

Pending bills crossed to more than Sh1.5 billion for the second time in 10 years, weighing down service delivery.

In his response to the Senate County Public Accounts Committee, the county government said the Sh262.1 million arose from 14 cases in which services of external lawyers were sought to represent the county in court.

A document tabled before the committee shows the lawyers had initially asked for a cumulative Sh291.2 million before the same was revised downwards to Sh262.1 million.

Response follows a statement that was sought in the Senate by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi seeking the actual list of pending bills especially on legal fees owed by Vihiga.

For instance, the lawyers are seeking a payment of Sh6.6 million in a case against recruitment of youth polytechnic instructors and another Sh18.1 million for legal services in the case of construction of stalls at Luanda market.

Lawyers who represented the devolved unit in the case against organising and executing Miss Tourism are demanding litigation fees of Sh9.1 million while those who represented the devolved unit in a case filed by Kenya Union of Clinical Officers and 76 others are seeking a payment of Sh122.9 million.