A financial crisis of monumental proportions is unfolding in Nyandarua, where billions in unpaid debts threaten to bankrupt local suppliers and grind county operations to a halt.

Nyandarua County is facing a fierce backlash from the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) after revelations that its pending bills have ballooned to a staggering Sh5.1 billion. The figure, which has nearly doubled from the previous financial year, paints a grim picture of fiscal indiscipline and budgetary mismanagement that has left contractors and suppliers destitute.

The committee, led by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’, expressed shock at the rapid accumulation of debt. "This is not just a number; these are livelihoods destroyed," Kajwang’ remarked during the session. The Senators accused the county executive of prioritizing new projects while ignoring legal obligations to pay for goods and services already delivered, a violation of the Public Finance Management Act that borders on economic sabotage.

The Human Cost of delays

Behind the dry statistics are heartbreaking stories of local businessmen and women who have been auctioned by banks or forced out of business because the county refuses to pay. The Sh5.1 billion debt is money taken out of the local circulation, suffocating the Nyandarua economy. Schools fees go unpaid, medical bills pile up, and unemployment rises—all because the government is a bad debtor.

Governor Kiarie Badilisha’s administration has defended itself, citing delays in exchequer releases from the National Treasury and inheritance of historical debts from the previous regime. However, the Senators were unimpressed, noting that the county’s own-source revenue collection has also underperformed, compounding the liquidity crunch. The explanation was dismissed as a "lame excuse" for a failure to plan.

• The Ultimatum: CPAC has ordered the county to present a concrete payment plan within 14 days, prioritizing the oldest debts and small-scale traders.
• The Warning: The Senate has threatened to ask the Controller of Budget to freeze funds to the county if the pending bills are not addressed, a nuclear option that would paralyze the county government completely.

A Systemic Rot

Nyandarua is not alone; it is a symptom of a wider disease affecting devolution. Governors across the country treat pending bills as "optional" expenditure, preferring to launch visible projects that win votes rather than paying for "invisible" debts like supplied stationery or road repairs. This culture of impunity is killing the private sector at the grassroots level.

As the Senate cracks the whip, the message is clear: the party is over. Counties must live within their means and honor their contracts. For the people of Nyandarua, the resolution of this crisis cannot come soon enough. They are tired of a government that is rich in promises but poor in payment, and they are demanding that their leaders stop playing politics with their livelihoods.