Counties Spent Ksh2.5 Billion For Legal Fees In Two Years, Report Shows

A parliamentary report has revealed that counties spent Ksh2.5 billion in just two years to pay lawyers for litigations in extravagant or questionable contractual arrangements.

According to the report prepared by inter-governmental relations committee, Narok and Nairobi top the list of counties that spent the most in legal fees.

The report shows the two counties jointly spent Sh1.2 billion between June 2014 and June 2016. While Narok spent Sh591 million, Nairobi sank Sh577 million, a figure that, however, contradicts the Auditor General’s which put Nairobi’s expenditure on legal fees at Sh1 billion.

During the same period, the national government spent Sh1.4 billion on legal fees.

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Makueni spent Ksh205 million, Mandera Ksh176 million, Mombasa Ksh171 million and Isiolo Ksh144 million.

The least spenders are Taita Taveta (Ksh100,000), Siaya (Ksh1 million), Lamu (Ksh1.2 million), Busia (Ksh3.2 million) and Wajir (Ksh4 million). 

The report suggests that the counties could have cut expenditure by 75 per cent if the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, which are considered most suitable for disposal of such disputes, were put in place.

The report further states that the counties paid as much as Ksh75 million and in one case Sh200 million, despite the legal fees for advocates at the High Court ranging from Ksh20 million to Ksh30 million per case.

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