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Sh578m Kericho-Kisumu interchange contractor fails to beat deadline, again

 

Though the Sh500 million Kericho-Kisumu interchange is a major Jubilee administration infrastructure project in the Lake region, the work on it has repeatedly fallen behind schedule.

The contractor reassured officials that the project would finally be completed on November 3, but that day is here and the work continues.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) awarded the contract in 2016. The contractor later abandoned the site, saying the government had failed to pay for the work as scheduled.

The project will be a key link to the Western tourism circuit and is expected to spur economic growth in the region.

It is also expected to ease perennial traffic gridlocks on the Kericho-Bomet-Kisii, Kericho-Kisumu and Kericho-Nakuru highways.

Officials from the President’s office led a tour of the site in early October, and the contractor committed to beat the agreed deadlines.

Kenha engineer Peter Okumu said the project, classified as B1/C23, would cost Sh578 million.

Mr Okumu told the President’s aides and Kericho County Commissioner Karungo Kamau in October that the work 71 percent complete.

“We are confident that the project will be completed by November 3, with the main bridge almost complete, foundation and the first lift of the wall complete while preparation for the casting of the second lift is in progress,” Mr Okumu said at the time.

He noted that the U-turn, bridge deck and crash barriers had been completed while backfilling on both sides was underway.

Israeli contractor SBI international AG (Kenya) abandoned the site in September 2019 over alleged delays in payment by Kenha.

A stop sign at the  site.

Vitalis Kimutai | Nation Media Group

The government then retendered the project. Chinese contractor Jiangxi Zhongmei Group was selected to complete the project.

Publication time

Jiangxi moved to the site in February this year, having taken over the site in November last year, raising hopes among residents of the region that the project would finally be completed.

On Tuesday, construction was still underway, with workers admitting that it would be impossible to meet the deadlines.

“Going by the rate of implementation, the deadlines were not realistic and it may require an adjustment by a couple of weeks,” said senior technical employee with Jiangxi.

Kenha and relevant government officials were not available for comment on this story by publication time.

Mr Peter Mundinia, the former director-general of Kenha, visited the site on June 23 this year to inspect the work and the company assured him that the project would be completed on time.

Mr Mundinia admitted during the tour that the project had hit headwinds, with a contractor abandoning the site before a new one was picked to complete the remaining work.

“There was a huge septic tank that needed to be relocated while the land that was taken over for implementation works belonged to a private company and individuals who needed to be compensated in what caused delays in implementation of the project,” Mr Mundinia said.

Workers at the Kericho-Kisumu interchange which is carried out by the Kenya National Highway Authority at a cost of Sh578 million.

Vitalis Kimutai | Nation Media Group

Kenha, too, has been blamed for the delays, as it did not release advance payment to the contractor and relevant certification for work done on time, issues that were resolved a month ago.

Completing the project

“According to the brief we have received from the contractor and the consultant after the tour, the work is on course and would be possible to deliver it on time,” Mr Mundinia said.

Mr Charles Okeyo, the project engineer, expressed optimism at the time that the contractor would beat the deadline for completing the project.

On January, 28 this year, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya warned the contractor against delays, even after the government had made advance payments as provided for under the contract.

“It is unfortunate that two months after being paid a Sh130 million mobilisation fee, the contractor is yet to start work on the interchange. It is a matter the government is following keenly,” Mr Natembeya said.

Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony said the project was a key development plank in the region as it was a dispersal route for trucks heading to and from various points in the East and Central Africa region.

“It is the expectation of Kericho residents that finally, the national government will see through the project to full implementation within the set timelines so as to ease traffic flow and spur trade in the region,” he said    BY DAILY NATION  

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