Shame of 51 billion stalled education projects

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) PS, Kevit Desai when he appeared before the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee at Parliament on Tuesday 29/01/19. [Boniface Okendo,Standard]

Several construction projects of the Ministry of Education have stalled after gobbling billions of shillings.

It has emerged that at least Sh51.4 billion was given out by the National Treasury to finance the construction of 130 new technical training institutes in the country.

More than five years after the projects were initiated, several of them are incomplete, beating their purpose of providing technical training.

A scrutiny of documents reveals that an average of 75 per cent of the contract sums have been paid to various contractors despite the little work done.

Yesterday, the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) questioned why Government funds were being used to pay for work not done.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training Principal Secretary Kevit Desai (pictured) was criticised for alleged poor management of public funds. Dr Desai cited insecurity as one of the reasons some of the projects had stalled.

Public funds

At Rongo University, the ministry initiated the construction of the proposed Kakrao Technical Training Institute at a contract sum of Sh48.7 million.

The project was envisaged to be completed in a period of 52 weeks on October 2015.

But a physical verification conducted in 201 showed that the project was incomplete and there was no evidence that the contract was extended.

Further, there was no explanation provided for the significant delay in completing the project.

But Desai told the MPs the contract was terminated because the firm faced financial difficulties and could not continue with the project. He said the institute was in the process of contracting a new firm to complete the project.

The proposed Nyakach Technical Training Institute had also stalled after the contract cost was reviewed from the initial Sh55 million to Sh60 million.

Some Sh24.9 million had already been paid.

The MPs questioned why the project was behind schedule despite the fact that the ministry and the Constituency Development Fund had disbursed a total of Sh60,593,120.

The ministry said the project delayed due to work that was added for septic and firefighting equipment, which required more time. The PS said the project had since been completed.