Government petitioned to weed out corupt contractors

By Standard Reporter

The Government has been urged to weed out corrupt contractors in order to reduce the cost of constructing rural roads by 60 per cent.

Nyatike MP Omondi Anyanga said intricate graft networks within the construction industry had led to runaway costs at the expense of the taxpayer.

He added corruption had also led to delays in meeting road completion deadlines, besides reducing value for money in public projects that should otherwise drive county economies.

“As the government lays out plans to upgrade the rural roads network, Kenyans are concerned that stern action is yet to be taken against contractors who delay projects, misuse or divert public money. Some of them continue defrauding the public purse with impunity,” he said.

Cost reduction

On Tuesday, Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau said the cost of constructing roads in rural areas would be reduced by half in a process that will see some roads built using light machinery and manual labour in upgrading roads.

But Anyanga warned that while the new cost-cutting strategies are welcome, any state officials who may have swindled the government of funds should be investigated and brought to book to serve as a deterrent measure.

He singled out Nyanza, where a mega ring road project involving Mbita, Gwassi, Nyatike and Migori constituencies was yet to take off despite having been endorsed by the Treasury in a deal signed between Kenya and China during the tenure of the Grand Coalition government.