The National Director, Road Asset Management Eng. Peter Gichohi has assured residents of Marakwet East and West constituencies that rehabilitation works on the Sh485 million Kapsowar-Chesoi road, cutting across the two constituencies will be completed.
Eng. Gichohi said the road had stalled after the contractor was unable to continue with the works, but said the contract had been assigned to another contractor who will continue with the rehabilitation.
Addressing the County Development Implementation and Coordination Committee (CDICC) at the county commissioner’s office, the director said the new contractor should start working on the road within 28 days as stipulated in the new contract.
The outgoing County Commissioner Dr. Ahmed Omar said the road was key as it leads to the Kerio Valley which has serious security problems and therefore the importance of ensuring that it is in good state.
According to the resident engineer, David Kibet, works on the road were supposed to commence in March 2020 and end in May 2021, a period of 15 months. “However to date, 23 months have elapsed but the physical progress is only 42%,” he told the CDICC.
A senior director with the presidential delivery unit Richard Tutah called on government officers to also do their part in ensuring that correspondences are acted upon in good time noting with regret that commencement on works on the road delayed for 8 months as the contractor awaited approval from the Kenya Rural Roads Authority headquarters.
The CDICC said 20km of the road will be upgraded to bitumen status while the rest 14km will be graveled.
Eng. Gichohi also directed the KeRRA regional manager to ensure that road signs are put on the steep Tirap-Tot road which is prone to landslides warning motorists of falling boulders which often block the road.
He added that the government will in future engage a contractor who will be tasked with clearing the road off debris.
The KeRRA director also agreed to the request by CDICC to upgrade the road leading to the Sh120 million Kambi Chura Bridge to bitumen status, which connects Elgeyo Marakwet to Trans Nzoia County.
The committee said currently the bridge on the Chepakaitit river which is under construction is hanging and may not be used even after completion, if it is not connected to the main Kapsigilai-Kapcherop road.
The residents are forced to travel for 23km to move from one county to the other, but once it is complete the distance will be cut to 6km.
The committee also directed the bridge contractor Haka international to ensure that it is complete by July this year as agreed in the contract, raising concern that with only five months to go, only 41.8% of works have been completed.
By Alice Wanjiru
