Contractors threaten to paralyze siaya county government operations over unpaid dues

Описание: Contractors threaten to paralyze county government operations over unpaid dues. Contractors who are owed millions of shillings in unpaid dues have threatened to paralyze Siaya county government operations should the devolved unit fail to pay them within a fortnight. Through their body, the Siaya county contractors association, the contractors at the same time demanded the immediate resignation of the county executive committee member for finance, George Nying’iro whom they accused of presiding over a department ladened with inefficiency and corruption. Addressing the press in Siaya town, the contractors led by their chairman, Francis Amollo lamented that Siaya county treasury officials only pay the companies they have interest in and have no time for small contractors. Amollo said that during the closure of the last financial year in June, 2025, the finance officials cheated the contractors that their dues will be cleared by August this year but up to date, nothing has been done. He said that the contractors have had enough and were ready to mobilise members of the public from all corners of the county to occupy the county government offices should the James Orengo led government fail to pay what is owed to them within two weeks. “we spend a lot of money coming to Siaya town to follow up on the payment” he lamented adding “finance officials demand that a contractor must physically ‘see them’ before their dues can be processed”. The Association’s Treasurer Mr. Elijah Odinga Osadho warned that they were ready to apply all the tricks to ensure that services come to a halt at the county government offices. “We will not allow the county government of Siaya to invite tenders for fresh works if it will not have paid our dues” said Odinga. A contractor, Lilian Awuor Otieno who is also the association’s assistant secretary lamented that banks were no longer giving them loans due to bad record occasioned by failure to pay bak the loans timely and they now have to rely on shylocks whose terms were exorbitant. The contractors, among them Vincent Otieno and John Ogeya accused the Siaya county assembly of doing nothing to help those who voted them in. “County assembly of Siaya has not been of help. We have sent numerous petitions to it but in vain” said Otieno adding “you have no business being MCAs if you cannot help your voters and take the executive to task”. Contractor John Ogeya lamented that Orengo’s administration was over a deliberate economic sabotage of the county, adding that several businesses have collapsed due to failure to pay for services rendered to the county government. Ogeya said that the finance officers have been boasting that they have both the senate, the ethics and anti corruption commission and other investigative agencies in their pockets and no matter how laud the contractors shout, there is nothing that they can do