Ministry shelves road projects as State fails to allocate Sh7.5 billion

The Voi-Mwatate Road under repair in April. Construction of 12 road projects has been postponed. FILE 

By EDWIN MUTAI
 

 

In Summary

• Cabinet secretary told the Transport, Public Works and Housing Parliament committee that the roads department will not take on board any new projects except nine that have secured development partner financing.

Twelve road projects estimated to cost Sh97.3 billion have been shelved after the Treasury failed to set aside Sh7.5 billion in the Budget.

A detailed brief submitted to Parliament last week listed the Narok-Northern Tanzania (185 km), Mukuyu-Kisii-Ahero (145km), Eldoret-Kapsabet-Chevakali (95km), Kisian-Busia (104km), Kanyoonyo-Embu (82km) and Iten-Nyaru (52km) roads as some of the projects that will not start in the financial year starting July.

“Owing to the colossal amounts required for road construction viz a viz the allocation received and the burden of the ongoing projects, the following projects, among others with ready designs, will not be taken on board,” said Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet secretary Michael Kamau.

He listed the Kisumu Northern bypass (9km), Mbita-Karangu-Masala (102km), Likoni-Shelly Beach-Vanga (128Km), Kapenguria-Kanyao (83Km) and Baricho and Sigiri bridges as the other affected projects.

Mr Kamau told the Transport, Public Works and Housing Parliament committee chaired by Starehe MP Maina Kamanda that the roads department will not take on board any new projects except nine that have secured development partner financing.

They include the National Urban Transport Improvement Project funded by International Development Association (IDA) to the tune of Sh3 billion and a government component of Sh20 million, the Mombasa Port Area Roads Development Project (Dongo Kundu) funded by JICA at Sh1 billion, the Sh2.4 billion EU funded Merrille-Marsabit road, and the Sh1.25 billion Nuno-Modogashe road.

Fully funded

Other projects that the ministry will commence construction which are fully funded by the government are the Kibwezi-Kitui, Thua Bridge, and Magumu-Njambini, each costing Sh100 million, and the Rumuruti-Maralal roadwhich will cost Sh300 million.

(Read: Treasury denies major projects cash)

Mr Kamau said that the Treasury failed to release Sh3.6 billion allocated to the ministry in the current financial year. He said there were 66,000 kilometres of classified roads in Kenya out of which 14,000 kilometres were national and the others county roads.

“We want to increase the national road network from 14,000 to 20,000 kilometres but we may not achieve the goal in the near future because of financing gaps,” he said.

Mr Kamau asked Parliament to fast-track approval of the new Roads Bill which creates a roads authority in charge of national roads and a standards agency which will be in charge of quality.

Committee members proposed changes to the Bill to retain the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (Kerra) as a national agency for road construction in counties.

“We want the money to remain the way it has been under the Fuel Levy Act. We also want Kerra retained as it is in the new Bill,” said Kinangop MP Stephen Kinyanjui.

Mr Kamau said that the devolution of road functions to counties should be delayed for two to three years.

“It is important that adequate funds be availed to the State Department of Roads to enable it complete ongoing awarded contracts on roads earmarked for devolution,” he said in a brief to the committee.

Mr Kamau proposed that fuel levy funds previously handled by constituency roads committees be allocated to counties.