The county’s flagship stadium project, a multi-million-shilling venture first launched in 2018 under former Governor Cornel Rasanga, was touted as a game-changer for sports infrastructure. Instead, it has become a glaring symbol of inefficiency. Despite multiple extensions and a budget ballooning from Ksh.394.6 million to Ksh.488.7 million, the facility remains incomplete. Residents highlight missing essentials, like a functional three-phase electricity connection—despite a contract for its installation—leaving a half-finished structure gathering dust with no clear completion timeline
March 17, 2025 – Siaya County, once brimming with optimism under Governor James Orengo’s administration, is now teetering on the edge of a governance crisis. Nearly two years into his tenure, promises of transformative development and fiscal discipline have given way to stalled projects, questionable spending, and a growing chorus of disillusioned residents demanding answers.
At the heart of the controversy is the county’s flagship stadium project, a multi-million-shilling venture first launched in 2018 under former Governor Cornel Rasanga. Touted as a game-changer for sports infrastructure, the stadium has instead become a glaring symbol of inefficiency. Despite multiple extensions and a ballooning budget, escalating from Ksh.394.6 million to Ksh.488.7 million, the facility remains incomplete. Residents point to missing essentials like a functional three-phase electricity connection, despite a contract being awarded for its installation. The result? A half-finished structure gathering dust, with no clear timeline for completion.
But the stadium is just the tip of the iceberg. Siaya’s crumbling roads, overstretched healthcare system, and the rising cost of living paint a stark contrast to the lavish lifestyles reportedly enjoyed by some county officials. A recent audit report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has pulled back the curtain on a troubling pattern of financial mismanagement, exposing irregular payments, misallocated funds, and a payroll system in chaos.
Perhaps most shocking is the revelation of extravagant spending on travel and allowances. In one eyebrow-raising instance, 19 staff members each received Ksh.2 million in payouts, suggesting they spent an implausible 120 days working outside their duty stations. County officials have yet to provide a convincing explanation for these expenditures, which have sparked outrage among taxpayers already stretched thin by economic hardship.
The county’s payroll woes only deepen the mystery. Over Ksh.2.8 billion in employee compensation has come under scrutiny, with more than 2,000 community health workers reportedly paid without proper documentation. Meanwhile, 240 staff pocketed Ksh.14.5 million through vouchers outside the official payroll system, a red flag that has fueled speculation about ghost workers draining public coffers.
Legal fees add yet another layer of opacity. The county shelled out Ksh.26 million to an unnamed law firm for an out-of-court settlement, but supporting documentation is nowhere to be found. Millions more have been funnelled into legal battles and settlements, with little transparency on what these cases entail or why the costs are so exorbitant. Critics argue this secrecy is a convenient shield for misuse of funds.
Whispers of irregular hiring practices further erode trust in Orengo’s administration. Sources within the county government allege that some health workers and other employees are drawing salaries despite missing hiring records, raising the question: Are these real jobs, or phantom positions designed to siphon money?
The Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending June 30, 2024, lays bare the scale of the problem. Beyond the stadium’s inexplicable cost overruns, it highlights a systemic lack of accountability that has left Siaya’s fiscal health in tatters. Residents who once saw Orengo as a beacon of hope now feel betrayed by a leadership that appears more adept at spending than delivering.
As public anger mounts, pressure is intensifying on Governor Orengo to address these damning revelations. Citizens are clamouring for a clear roadmap to revive stalled projects and restore faith in a government that seems increasingly out of touch. “We deserve transparency,” says Peter Okoth, a Siaya resident and small business owner. “Where is our money going? Who’s being held accountable?”
For now, those questions hang in the air, unanswered. With calls for investigations growing louder, Siaya’s leadership faces a reckoning. Will these revelations jolt the administration into action, or will the county continue its slide into a quagmire of mismanagement? The people of Siaya are watching, and waiting.
