The State has directed all project managers contracted by the government to do development projects to complete their work by April 2022 failure to which, a legal action will be taken against them.
Speaking when he toured Narok County to inspect development projects Thursday, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya said all projects should be handed over for launching by June 2022 before President Uhuru Kenyatta second term in office expires.
“All projects that the president started in the year 2013 should be completed by April 2022, otherwise, the project will be credited to the next President which is not right,” said Natembeya.
The RC said delayed payments should not be an excuse to bar the contractors from completing their job on time as the government engages only the contractors who have the financial capacity to do a certain job.
“During the tendering process, the government enters into contract with contractors who have proved that they have the technical and financial ability to do the job. That is why we did not pick anybody in the village to do the job,” he said.
The RC reiterated that despite the delayed payments, all the contractors will be paid, asking them to do a quality job that is worth the money they will receive.
However, the RC pointed out Covid-19 pandemic and erratic weather conditions experienced in parts of the county as the major challenges that have derailed the completion of many projects as per the stipulated time.
The Regional Commissioner was accompanied by Narok County Commissioner Evans Achoki, Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) officers and the Rift Valley region security team.
Among the projects that the RC inspected included the construction of a mega bridge along River Enkare Narok, near the Narok GK prisons.
The bridge will be completed in three months’ time and is expected to connect the National and county government offices with the Bomet-Narok highway without necessarily passing through the busy town.
Other mega projects inspected are: the construction of a Mega bridge along River Amolo that connects Narok and Bomet counties, a mega water project in Lolgorian, Kilgoris that once complete will serve about 50, 000 people in Kilgoris town.
By Ann Salaton