MPs raise alarm over Sh4.7b idle roads cash

By Beauttah Omanga

Members of Parliament are now expressing fear that Sh4.7 billion set aside for road projects under the current financial year might not be spent due to technical hitches.

MPs Isaac Ruto, Elias Mbau, Kabando wa Kabando and Jamleck Kamau said they were concerned the Ministry of Roads was taking too long to comply with a new Roads Act that empowered Constituency Roads Boards to handle all construction and maintenance funds.

Mr Kabando said the ministry owes Kenyans an explanation why constituency roads boards have not been operationalised and funds sent to improve the road network.

But a senior ministry official instead blamed the MPs for the confusion citing the Act.

"The MPs wanted to control all funds and that has really caused confusion in the ministry as signatories have to be changed and monies that were in those accounts redirected elsewhere," said the official.

The source said ministry staff tasked with the responsibility of effecting the changes as per the 2007 Act were reluctant "due to obvious reasons — they have been rendered irrelevant as MPs appoint their cronies and political activists to be their supervisors".

In what is emerging as a tug of war over control of the funds, Roads ministry senior staff and the MPs are pointing an accusing finger at each other, even as time runs out.

Any budgeted for funds have to be committed by March this year or risk being returned to the Treasury.

Yesterday, a source said the Treasury released the Sh4.7 billion three months ago, but due to some technicalities, no single constituency has received the allocations of which they were meant to receive at least Sh18 million each.

Main hindrance

Maragwa MP Elias Mbau, who is the Parliamentary Budget Committee chairman, told The Standard the change of signatories was the main hindrance to disbursement.

"I have inquired with the ministry and all I am told is the ministry is working out modalities on how the funds will be monitored and who the signatories will be as per the Act," said Mr Mbau.

He said it was unfortunate the ministry was dragging its feet yet roads in rural areas remained in deplorable conditions.

Mr Ruto (Chepalungu) said it was strange the Government was not even bothered at the slow pace at which funds set aside in the last budget were being utilised.