RUTO IN A TIGHT SPOT IN KAKAMEGA COUNTY.

Residents have put the government on the spot over stalled tarmacking of two key roads in Kakamega county.

The tarmacking of 31-kilometre Lurambi-Navakholo-Musikoma road that links Kakamega and Bungoma counties and 23km Ibokolo-Shianda-Navakholo road was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto in December 2016, but contractors later abandoned the sites over nonpayment.

The Lurambi-Navakholo-Musikoma road was allocated Sh2 billion, while Ibokolo-Shianda-Navakholo was to cost Sh1.16 billion. 

Residents of Navakholo and Mumias East constituencies feel the two roads were fake projects by the Jubilee administration to hoodwink them into supporting its reelection.

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya had accused the national government of launching ghost projects in Western in the run-up to the 2017 general elections.

DP Ruto relaunched the Lurambi-Navakholo-Musikoma road several times to provide a political platform for his 2022 presidential election campaigns.

A resident of Navakholo, Boniface Wangwe, said the road had been turned into a campaign tool by politicians and it’s high time it’s completed.

“Anytime we complain, you’ll see tractors on-site just as public relations stunts but they leave after a while without doing anything. This is the old Kanu style where electricity posts were dropped in certain areas during campaign times, only to be collected after the polls,” he said.

Peter Salasia from Mumias East said failure to complete the roads has hurt business. He said boda bodas and vehicles heading for Nambacha market, one of the largest livestock rings in the county, are unable to conduct their business, especially during rainy seasons. 

Edwin Shikanda, another resident, said, “It is sad that we are left in such a state for the same projects to be relaunched and used as a campaign tool in 2022.” 

The Ibokolo-Shianda-Navakholo road was awarded to local company GAB contractors who were expected to finish the works in a year. They have since subcontracted the work to a Chinese company, JNK Contractors Investment.

The Lurambi-Navakholo-Musikoma road was awarded to three different contractors, with one doing the Lurambi-Navakholo stretch, another the Nambacha-Musikoma and the third doing the Musikoma-Bungoma section.

The road was tarmacked for 4.5km from Lurambi junction and stopped near Shikoti area. It was again picked up from Nambacha market and was extended by five kilometres towards Bungoma county before the contractors pulled out on claims of nonpayment.

The work on the Ibokolo-Shianda-Navakholo road was done from Ibokolo to Shianda market, but the tarmacked section already has potholes that have been blamed on poor workmanship.

According to the Kenya Rural Roads Authority, works on the Lurambi-Navakholo-Musikoma road is 30 per cent done. Kerra imputes the delay to complete the two roads to challenges faced by the contractors. 

Speaking on behalf of acting director-general Philemon Kandie, the agency’s public relations officer Catherine Butaki said: “The new contractors will be starting work this month and are expected to complete the works within 18 months.”

She said Ranford Holdings has also been compelled to subcontract the Ibokolo-Shianda-Navakholo road to two firms. The subcontracting, according to Kerra, will help fast-track the projects.

The authority has also ordered Ranford to repair the potholes on the tarmacked segments between Ibokolo and Shianda.

“The contractor is responsible for the road during the construction period, then 12 months of defects liability period and 36 months of performance-based routine maintenance period. So the road will be consistently be maintained to motorable standards,” Butaki said.

DP Ruto, while on a tour of Mumias East on October 25, put the contractors on notice over their slow pace.

“The contractors should comply with the terms of the contracts and complete the roads because they are already behind schedule. We are giving them three months to embark on-site and complete the remaining parts or lose their contracts,” he said.

“If they will fail to meet our standards and meet the given timeline, then the government will be forced to terminate their contracts.”

Source: The Star.