State puts contractors in Kirinyaga on notice

Contractors engaged in carrying out projects for the National Government in Kirinyaga, now face arrest and prosecution, if they fail to meet the required standards.

Consequently, all the Deputy County Commissioners have been instructed to take interest and keenly monitor the projects, being implemented in their Sub-counties.

Kirinyaga County Commissioner, Jim Njoka, speaking in Kerugoya said the government was engaged in massive development projects, but the contractors were letting the government down.

“It is no longer going to be business as usual, we are from now going to make regular site visits to where the projects are going on and we want to find the contractors on site,” Njoka said

“We want to make sure that the taxpayers are getting value for the money through quality and timely delivery of the projects, we will not wait until it is too late,”  said Njoka.

The Commissioner noted that some of the contractors engaged in road constructions have left the sight without putting up culverts and drainages, making the entire project counterproductive.

He said anybody doing a shoddy job, would be arrested and made to pay for the money or go to jail.

‘We don’t want to go that route, but we must get the work done in time, we are not going to allow for the extension of time, projects must be completed and handed over in the stipulated time,” he said.

Njoka said the contractor carrying out the road improvement from Sagana – Kagio- Kutus to Kianjiru, was among those who should improve their work.

“This road started before the Devolution Conference in January 2019, the contractor has only managed to complete part of the work,” Njoka noted.

“The Government has already provided Sh 241 million for the work and we cannot understand why the contractor is lagging behind schedule, the public and the motorist have also been complaining of the poor work the contractor is doing,” he said.

He said the road is repaired in patches and there are no road signs to warn drivers of the uncompleted sections of the work all along the road sections between Sagana and Kutus town.

“We recently had an incident where a bus belonging to one of our local schools, got involved in an accident, due to the unmarked sections of the road,” Njoka said.

The Commissioner, however, took issue with the members of the public along the road whom he said have been accused of stealing metal drums meant to caution the drivers against deep trenches in some sections of the road.

He said the issue has been brought to his attention and action will be taken to ensure everybody is safe, until the completion of the road project.

“We are also aware of some people who have encroached on the road reserve and have turned it into parking, this will also not be allowed and we are giving the final warning for those involved, to look for an alternative,” he said.

He said as much as they are pushing the contractors to deliver in time, they would not allow any member of the public to deter the progress of the work by whichever way.

“ All of us must work together to make sure our projects are completed in good time,” he said.