Three arrested over delayed project implementation

A contractor and two government officials were Friday arrested after they failed to explain why they had not completed a government project on time.
Rift Valley regional coordinator George Natambeya ordered the arrest of Herbert Musuya the proprietor of Bumula Engineering Works, Benson Tim Tim County architect and Fredrick Njoroge, clerk of works at Kitale National polytechnic after they failed to explain why a three storey building whose contract elapses on 30th September 2019 was at 26 per cent completion.
The RC had led a team of Regional Development Implementation team to supervise projects in Trans Nzoia County.
The storey building whose contract sum is sh. 39 million was expected to cushion students against learning in tents at the National polytechnic.
The contract period for the project is 12 months and the works at the site in only at 26% completion.
Natembeya asked the DCIO to investigate why Tim Tim, who was supervising the project had failed to forward recommendations to the Polytechnic council for further action.
He warned public officers whose actions obstructed government projects that they will be arrested and charged accordingly.
Earlier when he supervised the Kitale-Suam 45kiliometer road, Natembeya took issue with government departments that had failed to authorize for the continuation of the project and said appropriate action will be taken against such officers.
How can a departmental head fail to authorize what is expected of him and make a project meant to help residents stop its works? It is not going to be business as usual.
The Kitale National polytechnic project was among the three projects that the regional team was supervising. Others were Kitale Suam road and Koitogot water project.
The 16 tuition block of the polytechnic came up in the Trans Nzoia CDICC after the Institute’s principal Fanuel Onyango raised concern over the slow pace of the works by the engineer.
Onyango who was presenting the state of congestion at the institute following a government policy that saw increased enrolment at the institute said that the 39 million shillings was an internal saving.
According to Onyango the tuition block would pull some students out of makeshift tents that acted as classes.
The CDICC took up the matter and wrote to both the contractor and the county architect to explain in writing why he was behind scheduled but they did not respond.
The matter was then escalated to the Regional Development Implementation and co-ordination committee.
Friday when the regional team visited the project, there were only two people working at the site which had been deserted for some time.
The contractor and architect could not explain why the project had been delayed. Musuya told the team that his wife’s sickness had occasioned the delay.
The regional coordinator was angered when Tim Tim and Njoroge said that the project was at 40% complete only to turn around and say it was at 26 per cent.
Natembeya ordered the Polytechnic Council to meet next week and re-award the contract to somebody else saying Bumula engineering works had no capacity to complete it.
By Pauline Ikanda