By Peter Orengo and Peter Mutai
Your MP now has no excuse for dilapidated roads in your constituency.
The Government has released more than Sh4 billion for road maintenance in all the 210 constituencies.
Roads Minister Franklin Bett said the money had been released through the new Constituency Roads Committees.
He said Sh16 million has been put in constituency accounts, while another Sh3 million would be released soon. The monies meant for rural road projects had been lying at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority, awaiting submission of two signatories from all CDF managers.
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Last Friday, The Standard revealed how the funds had not been used and risked being returned to Treasury.
In last year’s Budget, Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta announced each constituency would get 22 per cent of the fuel levy fund, amounting to Sh3.9 billion, of which each constituency was to receive Sh19 million annually.
The allocation follows amendments to the Kenya Roads Board Act, 1999 legislated through the Kenyan Finance Act 2009, which also allowed channelling of road funds through constituencies.
MPs had argued the district roads boards were slow in implementation of projects due to bureaucracy.
And since the country was already in the fourth quota of its annual spending, CDF committees were to spend the full amount.
Yesterday Mr Bett gave CDF managers, who are the MPs, seven days to submit names of signatories for work on rural roads to begin.
"I am directing Kenya Rural Roads Authority to liaise with the CDF committees and MPs on membership of Constituency Roads Committees and submit names of account signatories for appointment through gazettement," he said.
Given priority
The minister said the new system adopted the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) structure where MPs will be patrons.
"In the new system MPs will prioritise road projects," Bett said.
Since the amendment of the Kenya Roads Board Act and introduction of the fuel levy, the roads have improved, attracting as much funding as the Free Primary Education Programme.
Bett said reforms on the road sub-sector are on course. "The ministry is committed to maintaining the road sub-sector reforms that started in 1992," he said.
He, however, said the amendment to the Road Act has created new challenges like the inequalities that would arise from the equal distribution for funds to constituencies.
"The road maintenance levy is not adequate to address all challenges affecting the road sub-sector hence we need innovative ways of getting additional resources," he said.
The minister also appealed to MPs to ensure the money is used for the intended purpose. He stressed the need to improve roads in rural areas to enable farmers deliver their produce.
