Gachagua warns over misuse of road construction machines

Nyeri, Kenya: A report prepared by suppliers of road construction machinery who provided an over Sh100 million investment of equipment to the Nyeri government has cited gross misuse of the equipment.

Consequently, Governor Nderitu Gachagua has threatened the machine operators with sacking and prosecution after they were also accused of secretly renting out the equipment to private developers.

Reading the riot act to the operators, Mr Gachagua noted that complaints from residents indicated that the operators had also been reporting to work late and drunk.

"We have already received a report from the suppliers of the equipment and I want to tell you that we will not allow Nyeri people to cough up another Sh100 million because of your recklessness," said the governor.

The equipment, including two graders, an excavator, a compressor and two tippers, were purchased last year. The county government also procured quarries from which contractors fetch murram for gravelling roads.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

A section of the report, which he read in public, indicated that a clarifier, which is a component of the equipment meant for continuous removal of sedimentation in the engines, was removed from one of the graders.

The report also pointed out that the machinery had not been properly serviced or maintained.

"It also indicates that you have been over-greasing or even not greasing the machines. The operators have also been complaining of overheating of the engines and this is caused by running the equipment on high speed on non-gravel roads," he said.

"If we allow reckless use of the equipment, how shall we explain to the people of Nyeri?" said a visibly angry Gachagua, who was accompanied by Deputy Governor Samuel Wamathai, Public Works Executive John Maina and County Secretary Wambui Kimathi among other officials.

Gachagua was speaking at the Public Works yard in Majengo, Nyeri town, during the launch of a new brick-making technology adopted by the county government.