Anger as Sh1.5b road work commissioned by President Uhuru stalls

Gichugu MP Gichimu Githinji (right) when he introduced the Chinese contractors who took over the completion of the road. [File, Standard]

Residents of Gichugu constituency have expressed anger over stalled construction of Kutus-Kibugu road.

The road contractor had completed only nine kilometres from Kutus to Kianyaga town when the project stalled.

Former Gichugu MP Njogu Barua launched the project on August 16, 2016, at Kutus town only for the contractor to start work months later.

The Sh1.5 billion project was officially commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta on November 29, 2016. He later made two visits to the site and decried the slow rate at which the construction was taking place.

Early this year, the contract was revoked and sub-tender awarded to a Chinese firm which was to be on site by the end of last August, according to the area MP Gichimu Githinji.

Getting impatient

“But since then, we have never seen any such a contractor on site and we are getting impatient over the stalled project,” said Sebastian Murithi, a trader at Kiamutugu market.

When contacted, the MP claimed the outgoing and incoming contractors were not able to agree on certain conditions, leading to the delay.

“The first contractor was expected to complete the 26 kilometres of road by early next year but only managed to do nine kilometres," the MP said.

Local residents said they lost their farm produce during the last long rains as the road was totally impassable.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, while attending the homecoming of the then Devolution CS Anne Waiguru at her Kiamugumo rural home in the constituency on September 14, 2014, directed that the road be tarmacked after his convoy got stuck in the mud for several hours.

Some residents have blamed Mr Barua for having picked a contractor who had no capacity to undertake a project of such magnitude.