Sh100 million donor funded school finally given to community

New classrooms at Rweya Primary school in Rabuor, Kisumu County, constructed by Kisumu Urban Project. The pupils are yet to relocate one year later after its completion. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

The Sh100 million donor-funded Rweya Primary School has been handed to the local community, 18 months after it was constructed.

The school had been in the hands of the contractor, who had refused to part with the keys to its gates. 

While county officials said the delay was occasioned by Governor Anyang’ Nyong'o lacking time to oversee the handing over of the school to the community, questions raised over the project's financial transparency paint a different picture.

The project's French financiers had raised a red flag that part of its money had been transferred to a wrong account.

This led to all project accounts being frozen.

A number of county government and city directorate officers, including city manager Doris Ombara, were questioned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

It was a late intervention by Prof Nyongó that saw the account freed.

Yesterday, Cosmas Akeyo, the Director of Comacon Ltd, the firm which put up the school, said they had to hand over the school to avoid additional costs incurred through securing it.

Foot bills

"We had to foot bills for the security of the project, which meant additional costs to us. We decided to hand it over contractually, and not ceremonially as was envisioned by the county government,” said Mr Akeyo.

He revealed that Comacon Ltd was yet to get full payment for the work.

“We will be following up with the county government for the final payments,” Akeyo said.

Joseph Oguya, a parent and a member of the school management board said the board was summoned by the contractor on Friday last week, and the keys to the school handed over. “Our interest was to have the school running so that children can get a conducive place for learning," said Mr Oguya

"Any other issues which may have been raised in regard to the project should not affect our children.”

The French government has provided Sh4.5 billion to fund various projects under the Kisumu Urban Project. 

Rweya primary was one of the beneficiaries of the funding.