Billions of taxpayers’ money have been locked up in stalled county projects across Kenya, painting a grim picture of inefficiency and poor management in devolved units.
According to the latest report by Controller of Budget (CoB) Margaret Nyakang’o, at least 158 development projects in 18 counties have stalled during the 2024/2025 financial year, leaving behind incomplete works and abandoned sites.
The report shows counties have already spent Ksh3.8 billion on these projects, yet an additional Ksh5.3 billion is needed to complete them. The CoB attributed the failures largely to contractors who either abandoned work, delayed delivery, or lacked the capacity to meet obligations.
Out of all the stalled projects, more than half are linked to contractor-related issues. Some were abandoned mid-way only weeks after launch while others collapsed entirely due to poor planning or financial constraints.
“The situation reflects systemic weaknesses in project management, where both contractors and counties fail to uphold accountability,” Nyakang’o stated, warning that weak oversight, politicized tendering, and poor procurement practices continue to derail development.
The report also cites instances where contractors demanded additional funds mid-project or refused to continue unless new terms were agreed upon. Several contracts expired before work began, while others ran far beyond their deadlines.
In a separate audit, the Auditor-General highlighted similar concerns, revealing that 33 counties had 248 stalled projects valued at more than Ksh20 billion in the 2023/2024 financial year.
Machakos led in stalled projects, recording 54 worth Ksh314 million, followed by Nyandarua with 43 valued at Ksh403.9 million. Kakamega had the highest total value at Ksh8.1 billion, with Nairobi and Trans Nzoia also among the top counties affected.
Both Nyakang’o and Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu have cautioned that the figures may understate the true scale of wastage, as some counties failed to submit full reports.
Analysts warn that unless firm accountability measures are enforced, stalled projects will continue to drain public funds, erode trust, and derail devolution’s mission of bringing development closer to the people.
