The clearance of Sh177 billion owed to road contractors has paved the way for the resumption of construction on more than 6,000 kilometres of stalled roads across Kenya, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has said.
Kindiki said the settlement of the legacy debts had enabled contractors to return to sites after years of delays caused by non-payment.
“Contractors are now back on site, and adequate resources have been mobilised to ensure contractors are paid promptly,” Kindiki said previously while outlining the government’s road programme.
The Deputy President made the latest remarks on Thursday, October 1, while inspecting ongoing road construction works in Tetu Constituency, Nyeri County.
He inspected the Ihururu Junction-Kanjora-Dedan Kimathi University-Maigayuini road and the Ihururu Junction-Njoguini-Kahigaini route, both part of the Mau Mau Lot 3 roads project.
The works are part of a wider plan to tarmac 775 kilometres of roads across Nyeri County at a cost of Sh45 billion.
The government has said the settlement of contractor debts is aimed at reviving projects that stalled after contractors went for years without payment. In August, the State Department for Roads said Sh175 billion had been mobilised through the Road Maintenance Levy Fund to settle certified outstanding bills and enable contractors to resume works.
The road sector had been hit by a growing backlog of unpaid bills, with contractors abandoning some projects because of cash-flow problems.
A recent review by the Daily Nation found that hundreds of road projects had stalled after contractors stopped work over delayed payments.
Kindiki has directed contractors working on the revived projects to meet completion timelines while maintaining the required quality standards.
The government has also said it wants infrastructure projects to create opportunities for communities living along the roads, particularly through employment and local businesses.
In Nyeri, the revived road projects are expected to improve connections between rural areas, markets, institutions and major towns once completed.
Kindiki was accompanied during the Tetu inspection by Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga, Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi, Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge, MCAs and other local leaders.
The latest inspection comes as the government pushes to complete stalled infrastructure projects instead of allowing contractors to remain off-site because of unpaid bills.
With more than 6,000 kilometres of roads previously affected by the payment crisis, the government is now under pressure to ensure the projects move from resumed construction to actual completion.