A Senate committee has exposed a financial catastrophe at Bomet Water and Sanitation Company (BOMAWASCO), where employees have gone unpaid for 19 months and the company is now technically insolvent. This comes even as Longisa County Referral Hospital shows significant progress in addressing past audit concerns.

The findings emerged during a field visit by the Senate Committee on Public Investments and Special Funds to Bomet County, a follow-up to their March 28 meeting in Nairobi with county officials over Auditor General reports for the 2023/24 fiscal year.

BOMAWASCO’s liabilities exceed its assets: the company is valued at Sh275 million, yet owes Sh250 million in salary arrears and statutory deductions. Its monthly payroll stands at Sh6.5 million, but collections have plummeted—Sh6.8 million in February, Sh3.8 million in March, and just Sh1.2 million in April.

Committee Chair Senator Godfrey Osotsi questioned stunned workers: “What makes you come to work? What motivates you to be here every morning yet you have not been paid for over 19 months?”

Beyond unpaid wages, non-revenue water loss has spiked to 68 percent annually, costing the county Sh89 million per year. Residents reported receiving water only three days before the committee's visit—a timing that raised suspicion.

Senator Agnes Kavindu revealed illegal use of customer deposits totaling Sh2.6 million. “It is illegal to use customer deposits without approval of the County Assembly,” she said. The company violated rules by borrowing 100 percent of deposits—far beyond the legal limit of five percent—and failed to repay any within the required timeframe.

Managing Director Kipngetich Toweet admitted the crisis, crediting limited service delivery to county subsidies such as solar-powered pumping stations.

In contrast, Longisa Hospital demonstrated tangible improvements. The nearly completed Dr. Joyce Laboso Hospital stands at 97 percent completion, promising relief to overcrowding at the current facility, which operates at 140 percent bed capacity.

Governor Hillary Barchok defended the hospital’s quality: “Whenever I fall sick, I am treated at this facility. All my relatives including my mother are treated here. I use the same laboratory with other patients. Why would I want to be treated elsewhere or even abroad when my people are treated here?” she said.

The new hospital will expand newborn wards, add ICU and HDU units, and address auditor-identified gaps. Management has also hired a new food contractor and formed a drugs disposal committee to handle expired medications lawfully.

However, the committee identified urgent issues. Senator Hillary Wakili Sigei urged real-time M-Pesa integration for revenue tracking and repair of a broken CT scanner that forces patients to travel to Kapkatet for services.

Staffing shortages have improved with a returning surgeon and new hires on contract, while telemedicine now fills specialist gaps. Still, the committee recommended gazetting the hospital board, automating revenue collection, and upgrading the under-capacity incinerator.

Behind the facility, inspectors found a foul-smelling pile of unsecured medical waste violating NEMA standards. Management was given 30 days to resolve the pollution issue.

Other fixes include installing CCTV cameras and biometric access at the drug store, replacing old wooden doors, adding shelves, and labeling medicines properly to prevent mix-ups. An expired ambulance license was also flagged, with hospital officials pledging immediate renewal.

For BOMAWASCO, the committee pulled no punches. What Governor Barchok described as "challenges" in March, senators labeled “a failure of massive magnitude” and “nothing short of a disaster.”

Osotsi-led committee announced plans to formally request the governor form a taskforce within the week to investigate the root causes and propose solutions to restore BOMAWASCO’s viability and ensure reliable water supply to Bomet residents.