Turkana Among Counties Implicated in Multi-Million Legal Fees Scandal
Turkana County has been named among the devolved units that spent exorbitant amounts on legal fees, with reports indicating that the county paid KSh 166.5 million to law firms, raising concerns over possible financial mismanagement.
A recent audit revealed that several counties have been engaging in questionable legal expenditures, with rogue officials allegedly working in cahoots with private law firms to siphon public funds. Nairobi County topped the list with a staggering KSh 21.37 billion spent on legal services, followed by Kiambu (KSh 517.3 million) and Narok (KSh 364.9 million).
According to the Auditor-General, some counties paid law firms millions of shillings for cases that could have been handled by in-house legal teams. In some instances, counties were found to have paid law firms more than the amount under dispute in court cases. One case highlighted in the report revealed that a county paid KSh 10 million to defend a civil suit where the plaintiff had only sought KSh 1 million in damages.
The revelations have sparked outrage among members of the public and governance watchdogs, who are now calling for investigations and accountability. Transparency advocates have urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to probe county officials responsible for the inflated legal costs and take action against those found culpable.
“This is a clear case of financial abuse. County governments must be held accountable for every cent of taxpayer money. The Auditor-General’s report must not be ignored,” said a governance expert.
The Turkana County government is yet to issue an official statement regarding the report. However, pressure is mounting for an explanation on why such a significant amount was spent on legal fees instead of other pressing development projects in the region.
With devolution meant to bring services closer to the people, concerns over financial mismanagement continue to undermine public confidence in county governments. The latest audit findings now put county administrations under scrutiny, as Kenyans demand transparency and responsible use of public funds.
More details on this developing story will follow as investigations progress….
