Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has accused successive Bungoma county administrations of mismanaging public funds, saying corruption, poor financial planning and politically driven procurement have left county workers waiting for salaries while key public services continue to suffer.
The second-term lawmaker, who is seeking the Bungoma governorship in the 2027 General Election, said the county's financial challenges are not caused by a lack of money but by how available resources are managed. He promised to overhaul the county's financial systems, prioritise payment of workers' salaries and redirect spending towards healthcare, agriculture and roads if elected.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Monday, Barasa claimed county administrations have consistently favoured politically connected contractors whenever funds are disbursed from the National Treasury, leaving employees unpaid for long periods.
"The reason why many county workers' salaries delay is because of sectarian interest," he claimed. "When they receive the exchequer... their first priority is paying contractors so that they can remit their kickbacks to the beneficiaries, and that is what makes the salaries of workers delay."
Barasa alleged that procurement decisions have been influenced by political interests instead of the needs of residents, arguing that projects with little impact on ordinary people have taken priority over essential services.
He said his administration would introduce a budgeting system that ensures county employees receive their salaries before any payments are made to suppliers. He also pledged to conduct a comprehensive audit of county staff to eliminate ghost workers and improve accountability in the public wage bill.
"We will do budgeting... so that when we receive the exchequer... there is no payment of suppliers until we pay our salaries," Barasa said, adding that prudent financial management would restore confidence in county operations.
The MP also criticised what he described as excessive spending on costly legacy projects, saying future investments should instead address basic needs such as healthcare, road maintenance and food security.
"You put close to one billion shillings on a particular project... maybe putting up a stadium that is costing close to a billion shillings," he said.
Instead, Barasa said he would focus on improving all 130 dispensaries and health centres across Bungoma to ensure residents receive quality healthcare closer to their homes.
He promised to modernise county health facilities and introduce systems that allow patients to begin treatment within 10 minutes of arriving at a health centre. He also said patients would no longer be expected to search for medicines or diagnostic services outside public facilities.
"When I'm governor... the business of looking for medicine will no longer be that of a patient, but that will be the doctor who is in charge of that facility," he said.
Beyond healthcare, Barasa outlined plans to strengthen agriculture by introducing a county-backed maize buy-back programme. He said the initiative would protect farmers from selling their produce at throwaway prices immediately after harvest while helping cushion vulnerable families from food shortages during lean seasons.
He further pledged to improve road infrastructure by acquiring road construction equipment for every sub-county, saying the move would reduce reliance on private contractors and speed up the maintenance of rural access roads.
Barasa maintained that tackling corruption and enforcing proper financial discipline would free up enough resources to improve healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure while ensuring county employees receive their salaries on time.
If elected in 2027, Barasa would become Bungoma County's third governor since the introduction of devolution in 2013. The county has so far been led by Kenneth Lusaka, who served from 2013 to 2017 before returning to office in 2022, and Wycliffe Wangamati, who was governor between 2017 and 2022.