Audit uncovers flaws in Governor Nassir's Mombasa administration.

An audit report has revealed that Mombasa County is grappling with numerous stalled projects and growing pending bills, despite annual budget allocations meant to pay suppliers.

The first comprehensive oversight audit by the Mombasa senator’s office shows that 22 out of 43 health facilities are either stalled or lack equipment and personnel. Marimani in Kisauni and Shonda in Likoni- both level three hospitals are non-operational, despite being in densely populated areas.

The report, launched at a Mombasa hotel, revealed that the Shonda facility is currently being used as a residence.

“Shonda, a level three hospital, has been constructed but remains unused. A family is living there, possibly to protect it from vandalism. But in this day and age, we can’t afford such luxury,” said Senator Mohamed Faki.

The report also highlights severe understaffing in most public health facilities, especially in rural and underserved urban areas, compromising healthcare delivery. Many lack essential medical equipment and supplies, affecting service quality.

At the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, the MRI machine that was procured a decade ago no longer produces clear images and urgently needs replacement.

It was reported that a contract for cancer equipment at the referral hospital has expired and urgently needs to be renewed.

Faki questioned the Sh4.4 billion pending bills that keep on increasing despite the allocation of funds to the county government to pay such bills.

The report was prepared after visits and on the basis of queries raised by the Controller of Budget and the Office of the Auditor General.

It was in line with the County Oversight and Accountability Act, 2021.

The report also questioned stalled Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres and sports facilities in the county, including the Mombasa municipal stadium, that have not been rehabilitated or have been neglected.

“As we fight to have funds in the counties, we demand to see service delivery,” said Faki.

On the Mombasa sports complex, a total of Sh619,782,153 has been paid for its construction, but it remains incomplete.

The county department of education entered into a contract for the construction of eight ECDE schools in the 2014/2015 financial year at a cost of Sh214,173,840, but a number of the centres are incomplete, and the contractor is not on site.

Yesterday, County Executive Committee for Education Dr Kame Mbwarali stated that Governor Abdulswamad Nassir would respond to the senator’s report in the next two weeks.

“The governor wrote to the senator on 11th April 2025 and promised to deliver his report in the next two weeks. We have our report in response to the senator’s,” he said.

Faki noted that he met Nassir in February this year, but he never responded to the issues raised until last Friday, when he wrote the letter to him promising to answer the queries while the report was ready.

On governance issues, the senator took issue with the hiring of staff at the referral hospital and other areas of operation on a contractual basis and replacing them with others on a temporary basis without paying gratuity.

Senator Faki raised concerns that some county workers have remained in the same job group for over 10 years while others have been promoted. He questioned the hiring of hundreds under the Mombasa Ni Yangu programme in roles that offer little value to taxpayers, suggesting the funds would be better used to train youth in vocational training centres.

“In the next audit, we will critically examine the issue of pending bills and the County Service Board,” he added.

He also noted a shortage of housing engineers in the housing department, which he said contributed to the recent collapse of a Sh350 million building.

Mombasa Speaker Aharub Khatri criticised Governor Nassir for rejecting the County Equitable Share Bill, which aimed to allocate at least 30 percent of the Sh4 billion annual development budget equally across all 30 wards.

"MCAs passed the bill to ensure each ward receives a guaranteed development share, leaving the executive with 70 percent, but the governor returned the bill to the assembly," he said.

Coast Civil Society Network for Human Rights (CCSNTR) chairman Mr Zedekiah Adika challenged the governor to issue a State of the County address, which he has failed to do for the past three years. He also blamed poor planning for the collapsed building and the county’s inadequate