The Government has spent over Sh 11.1 billion to construct about 176 Kilometres of tarmac road in Kericho County in the last seven years.
In a report presented to the Kericho County Development Implementation and Coordination Committee (CDICC), Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) Regional Director Eng. Gibson Nyamuta said the government spent Kenya Sh 5 billion to construct over 100 Kilometres of the Kericho – Ainamoi – Kapsoit road, Ainamoi – Thessallia mission Road, Premier – Kabianga – Taplotin Road, Cheborge – Kibugat road, Cheplanget – Kapkatet Loop road, Sotik – Roret – Sigowet and Kericho By pass road.
The contractor of the road network covering Bureti, Belgut and Soin/Sigowet sub counties was M/s Intex construction Limited.
Eng. Nyamuta said during the same period the government spent Sh1.26 billion to construct some 36 Kilometres of tarmac road between Sigowet – Chepkemel – Kiptere/ Chepkemel – Kapsorok – Soko Huru in Soin/ Sigowet Sub County. The contractor of this road project was M/s China Wu Yi Co. Ltd.
The national government further injected Sh 2.3 billion towards the tarmacking of 40 Kilometres of Taita Girls – Liloch and Mutaragon – Fortenan road in Kipkellion West and Kipkellion East sub counties. The contract was awarded to M/s Intex construction Limited.
At the same time, the construction of the Sh 1.6 billion 40 Kilometre Chepsir – Kuresoi – Kiambiriria road network is expected to commence by mid this month where the government has already awarded the contract to M/s China Wu Yi Co. Ltd.
Additionally, the government has already awarded a contract for the construction of the 12 Kilometres of the Cheborge – Kipwastuiwa road in Kericho at a cost of Sh600 million.
Eng. Nyamuta told the CDICC committee meeting chaired by the county Commissioner Karung’o Kamau in his office that the three road projects were complete, but their contractors will remain at the site for the next three years, in what is called Defects Liability Period (DLP), the time required of the contractor to do any correction arising out of the road construction.
The County Commissioner observed that the government has done commendable job in the construction of roads network in the County, in accordance with one of the key pledges President Uhuru Kenyatta had made to Kenyans to increase infrastructural development in the country.
Kamau said this is part of government’s effort to bring development closer to the people and at the same time enable farmers to ferry their produce to market with ease, thus improving on their daily earnings.
The County commissioner reiterated that the newly built roads network in Kericho is part of the Jubilee government pledge to build 10,000 kilometres of roads across the country.
On his part, the President Delivery Unity (PDU) Regional Director John Karanja, who is also the Secretary to the CDICC Kericho warned road contractors against delaying government timelines in the construction of the roads in the region.
He cited the impending construction of the 10 kilometre Chepsir – Kuresoi – Kiambiriria Road in Kericho County, another 28 Kilometres covering the forest section and 12 kilometres in Nakuru County, where the road contractor M/s China Wu Yi Co. Ltd. had delayed despite the government having paid the initial agreed sum amounting Sh135 million to commence the project.
Eng. Nyamuta told the committee that the national government was allocating 22 per cent and another 10 per cent which translates to about Sh25.3 million and Sh10.5 million respectively, raised through the national road fuel levies to each of the 290 constituencies countrywide through the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) to improve road network in the constituencies.
By Dominic Cheres
