The State Department for Roads has raised concerns that its budget for settling pending bills was reduced from Sh650 billion to Sh40 billion in the 2023-2024 financial year.
The department’s Principal Secretary Engineer Joseph Mungai told MPs that the budget reduction is to blame for failure to pay awards issued to Project Affected Persons (PAPs) whose land was acquired to pave way for road construction.
While appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by nominated MP John Mbadi, Mungai said if the ministry was to pay all the pending bills, the department would stop functioning.
Mungai, who had appeared before the committee to respond to various audit queries for the financial year 2021/2022, appealed to the MPs to ensure they allocate money for paying the bills as those affected were suffering.
He said: “As we speak our budget has been reduced to Sh40 billion. Now we are stuck and we can’t pay these bills.”
Mungai regretted that even the Sh10 billion they have already received as exchequer releases, has already been spent, as it was used to settle some of the most urgent bills. Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) Director General Kung’u Ndung’u who had accompanied the PS also regretted the failure to settle some of the bills is because they have no budget for it.
