Tharaka Nithi County leadership on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, found itself on the receiving end of the Senate scrutiny over governance lapses and poor financial management at Kathwana Municipality and Nithi Water and Sanitation Company during the 2023/24 financial year.
Appearing before the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee, Governor Muthomi Njuki and his executive team were questioned on a series of audit queries, chief among them being Kathwana Municipality’s approval of its budget without a legally constituted board.
“Operating without a duly constituted board, as was the case when the budget was approved, is a serious breach,” Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, who chairs the committee, noted.
“We also note the lack of evidence for own-source revenue collection,” he added.
Revenue gaps
Senator William Kisang echoed the concern, saying it was worrying that the municipality could not account for its revenue generation mechanisms.
“It’s alarming. The municipality must urgently demonstrate how it’s generating revenue and account for its assets, including a timeline for tagging,” he said.
In his response, Governor Njuki admitted that the board was not in place at the time but said the county has since made progress.
“The Board for Kathwana Municipality was not in place then, but we are addressing this. A fixed assets register is now available,” he said.
Nithi Water and Sanitation Company
Attention then shifted to Nithi Water and Sanitation Company, which came under fire for recording a 56% non-revenue water rate, meaning more than half of its water production is either lost or unaccounted for. Senator Agnes Kavindu described the figure as “unacceptable” and urged the county to implement stronger recovery and accountability mechanisms.
Njuki, however, defended the water company, highlighting improvements made in recent months.
“We’ve managed to recover Ksh31 million in receivables and cleared Ksh12 million in payables. We’ve also introduced new tariffs to help address the high wage bill,” he told the committee.
While Senator Osotsi acknowledged that Nithi Water had made some progress, he stressed that Kathwana Municipality’s challenges remained largely unresolved.
The committee is expected to follow up on the commitments made as part of its broader oversight mandate to ensure public funds are used transparently and effectively.
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