The Tharaka Nithi County Commissioner (CC), Ms. Beverly Opwora has assured the residents of the county that the County Development Implementation Co-ordination Committee (CDICC) will continue playing its role of ensuring that projects by the governments are quickly completed to provide intended services to the people.
“As the representative of the National government, the CDICC is committed to ensuring that we provide a solution to every challenge facing government projects even where it means changing contractors where necessary to ensure the service is delivered to the people within timelines,” said the CC.
Ms. Opwora, who was speaking after a site visit to Chogoria-Weru –Kiriani road whose improvement into bitumen standards is long overdue said although many contactors are on course, those who are far behind will have their contracts terminated and given to more competent ones.
“We are comfortable with Ena – Kathwana- Tunyai-Mitunguu road that passes through our county and the St. Mary’s–Kinoro road but this road and the Chiakariga-Marimanti-Gatunga and Keeria-Magutuni- Kathwana roads progress is wanting,” she said, adding that the contractors are being changed to improve progress.
The CC said the inspection disclosed that the 23- kilometre Chogoria-Weru-Kiriani road is far behind schedule and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) is in the process of finalizing the assessment of another contractor to be assigned to complete the road construction.
According to the Tharaka Nithi Resident Engineer, Patrick Kirimi, the original contractor Don-Woods Company Ltd has already presented a letter to the General Manager (special projects) KeRRA seeking a no objection and authority to enter an Assignment Agreement with China Jiangxi International Kenya Ltd to complete the construction of the road.
Eng. Kirimi said the road is within the low volume contracts, which basically refers to improvement of already existing roads and the issues of compensation for land, compliance with National Environment Management Authority and Kenya Power Company over posts relocation is not a major challenge.
The CDICC committee site visit was done by the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, the
Presidential Delivery Unit, the Department of Inspection, KeRRA Resident Engineer and NEMA.
By David Mutwiri