PS puts shoddy road contractors on notice
What you need to know:
- Mr Mosonik was addressing contractors involved in ongoing road works and maintenance projects across the country at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre to examine road construction progress, challenges and way forward.
- Contractors, on the other hand, blamed delayed payments and land acquisition issues for slow work progress. Others decried changes of design while on site as contributing to the prolonged periods.
- Although the government committed to give priority to local contractors, they were criticised as forming the majority of those involved in slow and sometimes low quality works.
Road contractors who fail to honour time-lines and standards may be de-registered and barred from future jobs.
Infrastructure Principal Secretary John Mosonik on Tuesday said the days of such companies are numbered after the ministry carried out a random audit to examine progress in the last one year.
“Anything below 10 per cent of progress is totally unacceptable; I will ask the National Construction Authority to blacklist them and we will think twice before awarding any contracts to such companies.
“How can one explain the fact that even road maintenance works whose funds are readily available take as long as six months to commence? This is very disappointing,” Mr Mosonik said.
He, at the same time, threatened to take action on supervision officials from government road agencies not keen on their duties.
Mr Mosonik was addressing contractors involved in ongoing road works and maintenance projects across the country at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre to examine road construction progress, challenges and way forward.
Contractors, on the other hand, blamed delayed payments and land acquisition issues for slow work progress. Others decried changes of design while on site as contributing to the prolonged periods.
A number of road construction projects were revealed to have stagnated despite payments having been made within the last one year.
SERIOUS DELAYS
Mbita-Homa Bay, Voi-Mwatate, Taita Taveta-Mwatate and Changamwe-Bajuma road contractors were particularly pointed out to have caused serious delays.
They had between zero and 10 per cent progress.
In contrast, construction in hardship areas of north eastern Kenya were said to be recording good progress with some posting over 50 per cent progress.
Although the government committed to give priority to local contractors, they were criticised as forming the majority of those involved in slow and sometimes low quality works.
