By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 31 July 2026 - Freedom and Opportunity Party (FOP) leader George Onyango Oloo has called for a nationwide social and forensic audit of county pending bills, arguing that billions of shillings in unpaid claims have crippled development, ruined contractors and created fertile ground for corruption across devolved governments.
Oloo claimed that genuine contractors had waited for years to be paid, forcing many businesses into collapse while others had allegedly lost livelihoods and, in some cases, lives after prolonged financial distress caused by delayed settlements.
He maintained that county governments could not continue allocating huge sums to pending bills without first establishing which claims were legitimate.
According to Oloo, nearly three-quarters of the outstanding claims could be fictitious.
"We need a comprehensive social and forensic audit of pending bills. About 75 per cent of these claims are questionable. Institutions charged with safeguarding integrity, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, should investigate them thoroughly before taxpayers' money is released," he said.
He warned that paying fraudulent claims would drain scarce public resources at the expense of essential services and development projects.
His remarks come amid growing public scrutiny over county debts, particularly in Kisumu County, where pending bills estimated at about KSh 5.9 billion have sparked debate over the authenticity of some claims. Of that amount, approximately KSh 1.8 billion reportedly relates to court decrees, a development that has generated fresh questions over the nature of the judgments and the liabilities facing the county government.
Oloo argued that even court-awarded claims should be subjected to careful scrutiny to establish whether they arose from genuine contractual obligations or were products of fraudulent schemes engineered by well-connected cartels.
"Counties must be protected from individuals who want to reap where they did not sow. Every legal decree and every pending bill deserves scrutiny before payment," he said.
He said prudent fiscal management, transparency and accountability formed part of the Freedom and Opportunity Party's core governance philosophy, insisting that devolved governments could only regain public confidence through disciplined management of public finances.
The intervention comes as Oloo simultaneously battles another challenge—his party's quest for formal registration ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The Freedom and Opportunity Party says it has complied with the legal requirements for registration but is yet to receive a certificate of full registration from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, a delay Oloo says is frustrating the party's preparations for the next election.
According to him, FOP has already established structures in the constitutionally required number of counties and completed nationwide mobilisation intended to demonstrate its national character.
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Despite this, the party remains unable to fully participate in political activities reserved for registered political parties.
"The clock is ticking towards the 2027 General Election. We have complied with the law, yet our registration has delayed. We want to offer Kenyans an alternative model of governance, but the delay is slowing our engagement with wananchi," Oloo said.
Although he stopped short of directly accusing the Registrar of Political Parties of political interference, he suggested the prolonged wait risked disadvantaging emerging political movements as established parties continue consolidating their support ahead of the polls.
Even so, Oloo remained defiant about his presidential ambitions.
"I will be on the presidential ballot. It's my determination," he declared, adding that if FOP ultimately failed to secure registration, he would seek another political vehicle through which to contest the presidency.
Oloo's political journey has been characterised by persistence despite repeated setbacks.
Over the years, he has remained active in national politics, mounted several electoral bids and consistently advocated governance reforms, although he has yet to secure a major elective office.
Under Kenya's Political Parties Act, promoters seeking full registration must first obtain provisional registration before recruiting at least 1,000 registered voters in not fewer than 24 counties, establish county offices, adopt a party constitution and nomination rules, maintain a membership register and demonstrate compliance with constitutional principles of national unity, inclusivity, democracy and good governance. Once satisfied that all statutory requirements have been been met, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties may grant full registration.
Whether the delay facing FOP stems from unresolved compliance issues or administrative processes remains unclear, as the Registrar has not publicly responded to Oloo's claims.
For Oloo, however, the twin campaigns—for accountability in county finances and for political space ahead of 2027—are intertwined. He argues that Kenya requires not only cleaner politics but also stricter stewardship of public resources if devolution is to fulfil its promise.