The West Pokot County Development Implementation Coordination Committee has directed the North Rift regional TVET director to give out the progress and details of all Technical Training Institute being constructed in the county.
The committee observed that the construction of TTIs in the county under Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) were in pathetic condition while the government had spent millions of shillings on the projects.
During the meeting chaired by the County Commissioner (CC), Apollo Okello at County Public Service Boardroom Wednesday, the committee noted that some of the contractors have been paid all the money allocated and yet the project is not complete or not on the ground.
They singled out Chepareria TTI where the constructor has been paid over Sh.43 million out of the total amount of Sh.48, 743, 504 yet the project was not there.
The Chepareria TTI one storey building in Pokot South constituency collapsed before completion last year due to what people believed to be poor workmanship. The committee said the report on the progress of each of the four TTIs in the county must be tabled before the committee.
“The Regional Coordinator TVET, Martha Wekesa must ensure that she tables the details of the progress of each TTI to the committee on 11th, July 2019. What we want is the amount allocated, amount so far paid to the contractor and the stage at which the project is,” said Okello.
The committee observed that things were in terrible condition on the ground on Technical Training Institute projects, and it might need the intervention of the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI). All the four TTIs are being funded by the national government.
The chairman said the committee would make the decision after receiving the report, saying they will visit all the four projects to ascertain their status.
The County Director Technical Training, Joel Mulatya informed the committee that the contractor is not on the site at Chepareria technical training institute, saying he disappeared after the collapse of the building and nothing is taking place on the ground.
“At least work is going on in Kacheliba and Kitalekapel TTI, while for Chesogon had stopped due to cases of insecurity in the area but for Chepareria, nothing is going on and the contractor has not been seen. All the payment is done at the headquarter in Nairobi,” said Mulatya.
The four Technical Training Institutes are Kacheliba said to be at foundation stage, Chesogon 80% complete and contractor paid in full, Chepareria nothing on the ground as the building collapsed when nearing completion with contractor paid nearly all the amount and Kitalekapel is 95% complete with contractor paid over Sh.43 million.
During the meeting, two officers who had come to represent the County Director of Education and County Director of TSC were chased away by the chairman, saying no representation is allowed in the committee.
“By the Presidential Order in the formation of DCICC, the county head must attend in person and no representation is allowed. There are some issues which those people sent will not be able to respond to thoroughly and we don’t entertain such. Those who absent themselves will receive show course letters,” said Okello.
By John Saina
