Magufuli's warning to road contractors significant and timely

 
In Summary

• Roads are built at a high cost and must be well done to justify the hefty public spending.
• We hope that Kenya will, like Tanzania's President John Pombe Magufuli, warn that contractors who do shoddy will be blacklisted so that the citizens of the two countries can get value for money.

By EDITORIAL
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Tanzania's President John Pombe Magufuli has, in his characteristically blunt style, sent out a strong warning to road contractors who mess up in Kenya that they will have no place to hide in his country. The former Roads minister has a fascination with the development of infrastructure linking the East African Community (EAC) member states.

Some of the best highways in Tanzania were built during President Magufuli’s tenure as minister. His warning that contractors who do shoddy work in Kenya will be blacklisted in Tanzania is not only significant, but also timely. Roads are built at a high cost in taxpayers’ money and external loans and must be well done to justify the hefty public spending. We hope that Kenya will reciprocate the gesture so that the citizens of the two countries can get value for the money spent on building roads and other projects. Since he came to power just over a year ago, President Magufuli has demonstrated that his mission is to enhance transparency and accountability.

This is a good start. However, there is a need for close cooperation in other areas. One that calls for immediate attention is corruption. Blacklisting companies and organisations found guilty of involvement in shady deals will boost the war against graft across the EAC to block the diversion of public resources to a few people.