Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku has come under intense scrutiny in the Senate over accountability concerns surrounding missing title deeds, a Ksh21.3 million budget deficit, and critical staffing shortages in county health facilities.
Appearing before the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee on Thursday, March 19, Ole Lenku was put on the spot following findings in the Auditor-General’s 2024/2025 report, which flagged gaps in asset documentation, funding inconsistencies, and a workforce deficit in the county’s health sector.
Committee chair, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, raised alarm over delays in securing ownership documents for public health facilities, warning that the situation exposes critical infrastructure to risk.
"Public assets must be safeguarded through proper documentation. Without title deeds and updated registers, you expose critical health infrastructure to legal and financial risk," he said.
The audit revealed that several facilities were operating with allotment letters instead of title deeds, while some county vehicles lacked logbooks.
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In response, Ole Lenku acknowledged the shortcomings and pointed to ongoing efforts to resolve the issues.
"We have engaged the National Land Commission and expect title processing to be concluded by June. Logbook transfers are ongoing after resolving KRA-related bottlenecks," he said.
Attention also turned to financial management at Ngong Subcounty Hospital, where a Ksh21.3 million budget deficit was recorded.
Ole Lenku attributed the shortfall to disruptions caused by a health workers’ strike as well as delayed disbursements from NHIF and SHA, but maintained that essential services were maintained.
"Despite these constraints, we prioritized essential services and are strengthening financial monitoring systems," he stated.
Nominated Senator Prisca Tobiko challenged the explanation, emphasizing the direct impact of funding gaps on service delivery.
"A 27 per cent funding gap is not a minor variance. It directly translates to compromised service delivery for wananchi," she said.
Further scrutiny was directed at Kajiado County Referral Hospital, which is grappling with a 54 per cent staffing deficit alongside inadequate medical equipment.
Kajiado Senator Seki Lenku Ole Kanar urged the county government to take urgent corrective measures.
"A level five hospital cannot function optimally with such glaring shortages. These gaps must be addressed decisively," he noted.
In his defense, Ole Lenku highlighted steps taken to improve the situation, including the recruitment of 400 health workers in 2025, expansion of ICU and HDU capacity, and the completion of a new 150-bed ward.
"We are transitioning progressively to meet level five standards," he stated.
This comes days after Baringo County Governor Benjamin Cheboi faced tough questions from the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee over the hiring of 730 casual health workers across public hospitals in the county.
The governor appeared before the committee on Friday, March 6, together with members of his executive team to respond to concerns raised in the Auditor General’s report for the 2024/2025 financial year.
The committee, chaired by Osotsi, raised alarm over the county’s human resource practices after auditors established that hundreds of health workers were employed on casual terms, with some serving on repeated short-term contracts for years.
Osotsi said the findings pointed to serious irregularities in the county’s staffing structure.
"You cannot tell us that you do not have money to pay permanent nurses when you are already paying the same nurses on a three-month basis for ten years. The money is going out regardless. The only thing you are saving is their pension and their job security. That is not a saving the law allows you to make," he said.
According to the audit report, Baringo’s hospitals have a total of 730 casual employees, with the Level 5 Baringo County Referral Hospital alone accounting for 222 casual and contracted staff, including 41 nurses.
Auditors further established that some of the technical staff have been working under renewable three-month contracts for up to ten years, a practice that contravenes the Employment Act and the County Public Service Human Resource Manual.
Responding to the concerns, Cheboi admitted the county had widely relied on short-term contracts but attributed the situation to financial pressure and the high county wage bill.
"The wage bill is a heavy chain around our neck. While we admit that the engagement of technical staff on renewable three-month contracts is widespread, we have used Facility Improvement Funds to keep these hospitals running.
"We are now working on a plan to regularize these staff through the Public Service Board, but we must balance this against our fiscal envelope," he stated.
