We will pay you on time, Governor assures suppliers

Laikipia County Governor Ndiritu Muriithi has assured suppliers and contractors in the county that they will be paid in fourteen days after invoicing his office.
Muriithi, who has regretted the heavy pending bills that the county has had to grapple with since it took over in August 2017, has said that his government was committed to paying its suppliers on time to boost their businesses.
“We want to be the buyer of choice, provide a corruption-free business environment while ensuring a seamless procurement-to-pay process that will be transparent,” he assured.
The governor spoke during a forum with suppliers and contractors at Nyahururu stadium, where he urged them to observe professionalism and ensure they followed laid down procedures with the Integrated Financial Management Information System, IFMIS that will assure them payment.
“We are engaging professionals in ensuring that the Bills of Quantities are done as per the standards and current market rates to assure value for money. At the same time, without proper documentation we will undertake to pay the money so that the financial institutions have confidence in your orders,” noted Muriithi, while calling on companies to work with Laikipia County.
The governor promised to clear some of the pending bills that had been cleared for pay by his audit team, while pleading with the contractors to either complete the projects as per contracts or accept in-part payments.
Also at the event, former Nairobi Deputy Governor, now serving as Equity Bank’s Chief Commercial Officer, Polycarp Igathe urged the county governments to liaise with the national treasury and work towards the clearing of the pending bills.
Igathe assured the investors that Equity bank was well endowed to service their businesses, noting that County governments ought to get letters of undertaking from the national government to serve as an assurance to financial institutions.
The business people decried the fact that Local Service and Procurement Orders (LPO/LSO) were not bankable, noting that banks refused to give credit on the strength of the LPOs as many remained unpaid by the County governments.
By Anne Sabuni