Nairobi, Feb. 23 -- Parliament is investigating allegations of diverting payments meant for suppliers blamed for the growing pending bills that stood at Sh646.8 billion as of December last year.

Margaret Nyakang'o, the Controller of Budget (CoB), told the Senate that suppliers were owed Sh408.6 billion by State corporations and semi-autonomous government agencies (Sagas), Sh80.28 billion by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and Sh157.91 billion by county governments.

She told the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee (CPISF) that the diversion of payments from rightful payees to other suppliers not in the payment schedules had made the pending bills headache worse.

"Some of the key reasons for the huge pending...