Bett says county councils hold back road development

By Macharia Kamau

Roads Minister Franklin Bett has accused county councils of impeding the development of infrastructure by imposing unnecessary charges on contractors.

The minister cited the Narok County Council, which he blamed for the six-month delay of repairs on the road to Maasai Mara.

The County imposed cess fees on gravel and other materials used in road construction. Petwa Contractors, the firm contracted to undertake minor repairs on the road, did not agree with the terms, and the ensuing tussle stalled the road works.

Despite leading to one of the most popular tourist destinations on the continent, the road has been in a deplorable state, forcing a significant number of tourists to use air travel as opposed to road.

Tour operators pressed the Government to repair the road, and earlier in the year the roads ministry set aside Sh320 million to make the 45 kilometre stretch of road passable in time for the peak June – October season, when the Wildebeest migration occurs. But the county council imposed a charge on gravel used by the contractor.

 “The council was asking for Sh150 per tonne of gravel used by the contractor, and it adds up to significant amount when you consider that they were looking at using 10,000 tonnes,” said Bett, who spoke at a press briefing Thursday.

Bett said a meeting he convened earlier this week between tourism industry players and Narok County Council officials had resolved the issue, and that the road would be ready for use before the high season ends. “I have instructed the contractor to go ahead and do the patches on potholes as well as gravel part of the road and the minor repairs should be complete in the coming weeks,” he said.

He added that an improved road infrastructure, the council would be more attractive to tourists and in turn get more revenues than the fees they would be charging contractors.

Bett noted that the road to Mara was not the only one where the ministry had faced difficulties with local authorities. The Narok County Council had also delayed the construction of the Mai Mahiu road.

He also said in construction of Muranga-Nyeri road, the two councils had confiscated the contractor’s equipment in a bid to force them to pay the fees.

Other councils that have stood in the way of major road works include Kajiado and Isiolo.

 —where a similar tussle had delayed the completion of the Isiolo-Merille road, which is a segment of the Nairobi-Addis Ababa highway.

“In as much as the councils need to increase their areas of revenue collection, they should stop concentrating on the easy bits, which are an impediment to their own development,” said Bett.

“In the case of road infrastructure, the county councils should understand that a road is worth more to their regional economies than the fees that they impose on contractors and in turn stall road works.”