Isiolo duo to know fate today on pending bills

Two senior Isiolo County finance officers will know their fate Friday morning when a court will make a ruling on an application by a group of contractors to have them committed to civil jail for failing to pay Sh83 million pending bills.

Finance Executive Abdinassir Hajj Daud and chief officer Peter Ngechu were arraigned for alleged breaching of an agreement sealed in August 2019.

It required that Sh80 million be paid by December 15 and remaining Sh83 million by September 15, 2020.

Through lawyer Ken Muriuki, the five contractors, hired by the former county government, said Isiolo failed to commit to the consent, arguing that payment started in March this year instead of December.

“We pray that the two officials be committed to civil jail as a way to coerce the county government to pay the pending bills,” the lawyer said.

The county’s failure to pay the bills has seen the accrued interest shoot to at least Sh4 million, according ot the contractors.

The services for which payment is required include foodstuff supply, hiring of transport and security and construction.

Isiolo has linked the payment hitches to figure differences between the auditor general and and a county taskforce. The county was to reconcile the figures before paying.