Government to prosecute contractors who fail to deliver – KBC

The Government will arrest and prosecute contractors who fail to deliver on time or do shoddy work, Interior Ministry Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i has said.

The CS revealed that the Government had reassigned 30% of all road projects in the Western region.

“Some contractors who were identified earlier, either bundled the contract on the way because they didn’t have sufficient capacity or had challenges of one kind or the other,” said Dr Matiang’i.

Serving in his capacity as the National, Development, Implementation, Communication, Cabinet, Committee (NDICCC) chairperson, Dr Matiang’i said that there should be no excuse fronted by the contractors in regards to non-completion of projects since the National Treasury has been releasing the required funds.

“Funds are no longer the excuse because it is true the Exchequer, our National Treasury, released over Ksh 30 billion in the last two weeks alone to pay up pending bills particularly in the road construction sector. We have the bond through which we have received resources.”

Dr Matiang’i warned that the old way of approaching development matters will no longer be tolerated not just in the Western region, but throughout the country.

To belabour the issue, the CS recounted that on his tour of Nyandarua County (on 15th June 2020) to inspect development projects, he ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of a contractor who had failed to complete a road that was commissioned four years ago.

“The contractor took up an assignment to construct four-and-a-half kilometers of a road about four years ago. I ordered his arrest. We shall take him to court for wasting public resources. We are not going to play these kinds of games anymore. Long gone are the days when contractors believe they can escape responsibility by through bribes.”

Dr Matiang’i reiterated that it’s not only contractors who’ll be bear the brunt of irresponsibility but any public officials implicated in wrongdoing.

Going by the recommendation of the Council of Governors Chair and County of Kakamega Governor, Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya, the NDICCC chair said he shall embark on a two-day inspection tour of all commissioned National Government development projects in the Western Region counties of Vihiga, Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma and Transzoia on the 20th and 21st of July, 2020.

On his part, CS Munya said that the Government had had deliberations on the key-value chains affecting Western Kenya’s key economic sectors of sugar, coffee and cotton. “We have briefed leaders on the progress we have made on the revival of sugar. Indeed we are in the final stages of recommending legislative interventions to create a sugar board and to also create a sugar levy fund that will raise money that will be ploughed into the development of the sugar sector.”

The CS added that the Government will be leasing out all non-performing sugar mills to the private sector and write off all the debts that have been accumulated by those mills.

Meanwhile, coffee farming will also undergo a revival in Western Kenya through the improvement of infrastructure. “We shall have a meeting with coffee farmers in July but coffee farming will be revived countrywide,” Munya said.

The CS also alluded to the issue of cotton, saying that demonstration farms have been set up. “We are in the process of reviving ginneries. We shall also be giving farmers quality seeds to farmers so that cotton revival can start in earnest in Western Kenya.”

On floods, CS Wamalwa, on behalf of CS Kariuki said that all flood control matters have been canvassed at length including the recovery process that has over Ksh 1.5 billion directed towards flood control. “CS Kariuki will be visiting the Western region soon while the technical committee will visit next week to look at issues to do with dykes, construction of dams and ensuring that all of those affected by floods are given support.”

CS Matiang’i was accompanied by three governors, four senators and 20 MPs – from Western Kenya and fellow CSs in the Ministries of Agriculture (Hon. Peter Munya), Devolution (Hon. Eugene Wamalwa) and Water (Hon. Sicily Kariuki) at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) in Nairobi County, the CS revealed that the Government had reassigned 30% of all road projects in the Western region.