Homa bay: Contractors in Homa Bay have urged the county government to address outstanding debts amounting to over Sh480 million in pending bills.

According to Kenya News Agency, the contractors, organized under the Homa Bay County Contractors Association, had initially threatened to disrupt operations at various facilities constructed for the county if payments were not made. However, they have now decided to pursue a more diplomatic approach and engage in dialogue with the authorities.

The Association Secretary General, Kennedy Aloso, announced at a press conference held at the county headquarters that the association had opted for dialogue over more confrontational methods to resolve the ongoing payment dispute. Aloso revealed that discussions with the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance, Solomon Obiero, had been promising, as Obiero assured them of imminent payment following the county’s receipt of funds from the National Treasury.

Aloso expressed optimism about the CECM’s commitment to resolving the issue by the end of the week. Meanwhile, Peter Brown, the Association’s Organising Secretary, emphasized the need for timely payments to maintain a harmonious relationship between the contractors and the county government.

Florence Momanyi, a member of the association, highlighted the financial strain faced by contractors who had borrowed from financial institutions to fulfill their contractual obligations to the county government. She stressed that their primary concern was receiving their due payments to alleviate their financial difficulties, which originated from work completed during former Governor Cyprian Awiti’s tenure starting in 2013.