A development monitoring committee in Laikipia has summoned a road contractor over delays in completing a road project awarded to him over two years ago.
The County Implementation, Coordination and Management Committee (CICMC) seeks to find out why the contractor, Shibili Enterprises, has barely started tarmacking the 15-kilometer Naibor-Ilpolei road in Laikipia North Sub County with a view of terminating the contract.
Shibili Enterprises was awarded the works to upgrade to bitumen standards and maintain the Naibor Ilpolei road in November 2021 by the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) at a cost of Sh. 596,637,543 and was expected to complete the work in November 2023.
KeRRA Laikipia County Director Engineer Willy Mburu while presenting his status report on road works in the county told the committee that the progress of the works was barely 10 percent with the contractor yet to start laying tarmac on the road.
“The contractor has all the equipment on the ground but unfortunately very little work is taking place. We suspect he has internal management issues with his company,” Eng Mburu told the committee.
Eng Mburu further said that KeRRA was considering terminating the contract with a view of awarding it to someone else.
“We will not allow a contractor to drag his feet on the works yet the completion time of the project has already elapsed,” Eng. Mburu added.
Government Delivery Unit Director in charge of the South Rift region John Nderitu directed that the contractor be summoned by the committee to show cause why his contract should not be terminated.
“Contractors cannot take Kenyans for granted with their taxes playing hide and seek while sleeping on the job,” Nderitu who chaired the committee said.
He further directed that the committee should visit the site of the contractor situated at the Kimugandura area along the same road to assess if any work was taking place.
The CICMC is tasked with assessing National Government development projects across all counties through monitoring and verification and also has the mandate of recommending the termination of unfinished and shoddy contract works by the contracting agencies.
By Martin Munyi
