Contractors implementing national government-funded development projects have been directed to speed up construction of the projects and ensure that they comply with the standards required.
The State has affirmed that contractors must be held accountable over timelines set for project completion to mitigate the loss of business due to poor or lack of infrastructure.
Nakuru County Commissioner Mr Loyford Kibaara while indicating that the government was committed to supporting the contractors to complete high standard projects in time, it will not accept shoddy work and advised them to ensure quality work.
“We are not going to allow contractors to drag government projects for far too long for any reason whatsoever. The government expects nothing less of perfect work done for the people,” he said.
He said the government will blacklist any company found to be compromising the standards of public projects.
“We will be inspecting these projects on a very regular basis and if we find a contractor has delayed a project for no reason then he will have to answer. As a government we are committed to supporting the contractors to complete high standard projects in time,” said the administrator.
Mr Kibaara advised contractors against diverting money paid for a particular project to other projects, noting it was the main reason most of them ended up with incomplete projects.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the Lanet Airport upgrade work and road construction projects in Rongai, Nakuru-East and Bahati Sub-Counties by members of the County Development Implementation Committee (CDICC), Mr Kibaara warned that contractors who fail to do their work as specified in the project plan that they will not be paid, and also forced to redo the work to the satisfaction of the Government engineers.
He instructed the company awarded a tender to upgrade the Lanet Airport to speed up work as it was behind schedule and that project was envisioned to transform the economic fortunes of the region and the lives of the residents.
The groundbreaking for the Sh3 billion first phase of the Lanet Airport upgrade project was done in December 2020, the site handed over to the contractor in January 2021 and the project commenced on February 23. The contract period was set at 18 months and the completion date had been scheduled for August 22, 2021.
The first phase of the project entails the upgrade of a 1.7-kilometre-long military runway at 81 Tank Battalion Barracks, Lanet, which is currently of gravel finish to bitumen standards. The airbase will be a dual military-civilian facility.
The runway strip will be 150 metres wide with four taxiways and a military apron that will be able to accommodate larger and heavier commercial aircrafts.
The first phase also involves erection of a fence; construction of taxiways and terminals; a military lounge; air rescue centre; as well as military and civilian gates. It is projected to cost Sh406 million. Phase Two will include an extension of Phase One to accommodate larger aircraft.
The upgrade will eventually enable flights to start and connect Nakuru to East Africa. Ultimately, the airport’s runway will be extended to 3.1 kilometres and widened to 30 meters.
During an inspection tour of the Lanet Airstrip, Mr Kibaara, accompanied by PDU South Rift Director Mr John Ndiritu, officials from Kenya Airports Authority, Ministry of Public Works, the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA), representatives from Ministry of Roads and Transport revealed the first phase of the project was 81 per cent complete.
According to Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) the government has allocated Sh406,761,591 for the first phase. An advance payment of Sh39,418,827 was initially made.
The County Commissioner noted that the project has a high potential for taxpayers as they will recoup funds invested in the project through the tourism and horticultural sub-sectors which thrive in the county.
“This dream was conceived over 20 years ago and for the first time, we have seen a commitment by the government in financial allocation and implementation. The investment shall not be in vain considering the potential of our county and the Rift region,” said Mr Kibaara.
Residents around the barracks are also set to benefit from the project which is set to have tarmac roads leading to the airport for easier access.
Mr Kibaara expressed optimism that completion of the 1.7 kilometer runway should be ready for commissioning by March next year to pave the way for commencement of operations.
The airstrip, which is next to the Kenya Military Academy – about 10 kilometres from Nakuru town is scheduled to be upgraded in three phases in partnership with the county government.
Mr Kibaara indicated that flower farmers, especially in Naivasha, will have a chance to exploit a huge market by increasing their exports to destinations, such as Europe and the US.
Nakuru accounts for 70 per cent of Kenya’s flower exports and companies currently rely on refrigerated trucks to ferry flowers to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
The airport will serve both military and civilian passengers once completed.
PDU Director John Ndiritu said once complete the facility will promote tourism while easing transportation of farm produce from the county to international markets.
Mr Ndiritu reiterated that the State will not use taxpayers’ money to pay for projects that are never completed adding that all projects will be scrutinized to ensure people get value for money.
He said that the slow pace of completing tax payer funded projects was unacceptable and responsible contractors would be held liable.
Mr Ndiritu observed that some of the contractors lacked the capacity to handle multiple projects because they did not have enough equipment.
“Some contractors do not have enough equipment, which is why they are slow. They must comply with the terms of the contract and complete projects on time. If they fail to meet our standards, then the Government will not hesitate to take appropriate measures against them,” he indicated.
By Anne Mwale
