Why KDF is taking over stalled projects

A section of Kabarnet stadium in Baringo county on August 26,2021. Former Kimoso location chief Joseph Malatit Chebii has embarked on a over 330 Km charity walk to Nairobi to compel the government to complete the construction of the stadium.[Kipsang Joseph, Standard] With the advent of devolution in 2013, counties across Kenya embarked on ambitious development projects - from modern stadiums and fresh-produce markets to industrial parks and value-addition facilities. The promise was to transform local economies, create jobs, and provide modern infrastructure. But more than a decade later, many of these projects remain unfinished despite consuming billions of taxpayers' money. Crumbling walls, overgrown grass, and idle machinery stand as monuments to mismanagement and stalled dreams. In a renewed effort to restore hope and deliver value for money, the government has turned to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to take over and supervise the completion of some of these stalled projects. It is, however, not clear how the government will account for money already allocated and spent on the projects. Among the first to be revived under military supervision is the Olenguruone Stadium in Kuresoi South, Nakuru County. The project was first launched in November 2012 under the late President Mwai Kibaki and envisioned as a modern sports facility to serve the region. By 2016, however, the site had been abandoned - a ghost of what was meant to be a sporting hub. The incomplete structures became a painful reminder of unfulfilled promises. After taking office, Governor Susan Kihika said she personally petitioned President William Ruto, who issued a directive assigning the KDF the responsibility of reviving and reconstructing the stadium. The upgraded facility will include a standard football pitch, athletics track, and courts for volleyball, handball, and table tennis. It will also feature sections for field events like javelin and shot put. According to Kihika, the stadium, together with the Keringet High Altitude Sports Complex, will form a strong sports ecosystem capable of nurturing and commercialising local athletic talent. Similarly, KDF is expected to supervise the completion of the Nakuru Trauma Centre, a multimillion-shilling health facility whose construction began in 2011 but stalled midway, and Afraha Stadium. In neighbouring Baringo County, the Kabarnet Stadium has been another casualty of stalled development. Construction began in 2014 under then-Governor Benjamin Cheboi, but despite an estimated Sh40 million already spent, the facility remains incomplete. When Cheboi returned to office in 2022, he vowed to complete the project and restore public confidence. Audit reports, however, paint a grim picture. A 2015 report by the Auditor General revealed that the county did not even own the land on which the stadium was being built - a situation that risked turning public spending into a total loss if ownership disputes arose. "Although the works are ongoing, the county government does not own the land where the construction is being done. In the circumstances, the expenditure may go to waste if a third party claims the same land," the report noted. Subsequent audits between 2015 and 2018 continued to raise red flags over incomplete work and unaccounted expenditures. Despite contracts worth tens of millions being awarded for earthworks, pavilions, and sanitation facilities, physical verification in 2018 revealed that the stadium was still a shell - with no contractor or materials on site. In 2021, former Kimoso location chief Joseph Malatit trekked to State House to draw attention to the stalled project. Last month, President Ruto, during a development tour of Baringo, announced that KDF would now undertake the completion of Kabarnet Stadium, with the project expected to be ready for commissioning by August next year. In April this year, the President also commissioned KDF to oversee works at Ol Kalou Stadium and the JM Kariuki Memorial Hospital in Nyandarua County.These projects had also been dogged by years of delays and budget overruns. In Nandi County, the construction of Kipchoge Keino Stadium is under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence, whose Phase I had already gobbled Sh326,816,952. The contract sum was increased by Sh65,493,560 to Sh369,697,973 on August 16, 2016, with an expected completion date of January 30, 2023. However, a physical verification on March 5, 2024, showed that Phase I had not been completed, and work had stopped, with the contract termination process underway. The contractor had also abandoned the site due to delayed payments, and the project had stalled. While many welcome KDF's involvement for its reputation of efficiency and discipline, critics say it also raises governance and transparency questions. Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute has since raised concerns over the involvement of the KDF in implementing civilian public infrastructure projects. While seeking a statement from the Senate Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation, and Housing, Chute questioned why major developments such as stadium construction have been handed to KDF instead of civilian contractors. Senator Chute urged the committee to seek an explanation on the procurement methods applied since 2020, detailing why open tendering was not used in some cases and how the military emerged as the implementer. He further called for full disclosure on the rationale behind the government's shift toward involving the military in civilian projects, urging accountability and prudent use of public funds. Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi said there are questions on how the Public Finance Management Act and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act are employed, stating that this could be another form of corruption being invented because it is not allowed to scrutinise the financial activities of the military. Osotsi argued that if the military were involved in public development projects, then oversight would be brought into question, with this being an important matter that needs to be looked into, bearing in mind that as a country, we need to try as much as possible to keep the military in their spaces in the barracks. He said the temptation to get the military out there is not a good thing, pointing out what happened in Madagascar when the military was allowed to deal with unrest and ended up overthrowing the government, calling for limited interaction in public spaces for the military. "I know people will say that the military is much disciplined; we can also ensure discipline in other sectors of our economy so that we deliver value for money for our people instead of getting the military directly involved in some of these things," said Osotsi. Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina said that it is important to note that what KDF does is legal, telling Senators that the KDF would not want to get into projects that they are not legally allowed to perform, asking Senators not to be oblivious of the existing legal framework. Ledama told the House there was a piece of legislation passed in 2021, which set up the Ulinzi Construction Company under the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), and there was the Critical Infrastructure Bill of 2024 that was being considered by the National Assembly. Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot stated that when there is work that is urgent in nature, procurement law allows for one government entity to contract with another without going through the long route of the public procurement process. Cheruiyot said this is because, in essence, there is no profit to be made. He said that while there are concerns over exposing our military to interaction with citizens, many people do not know that there are many countries engaging their military in projects. Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu said that there was a need for Kenyans to understand the framework under which the KDF is undertaking construction works in the country, asking whether it is a directive, special arrangement, or open tender. Nyamu said that when such jobs are done by the military, they are likely to cause unemployment since the money that is supposed to be in circulation in the economy goes to the military, arguing that the Senate needs to know whether it is cheaper when the KDF undertakes these contracts or whether it is more expensive.

Why KDF is taking over stalled projects

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