Deputy President Professor Kithure Kindiki has warned contractors undertaking road construction projects that the government will not continue to tolerate delays in completing such works.
Kindiki said that the government had cleared the Sh175 billion owed to contractors across the country, adding that contractors had no option but to honour the terms of the agreements and deliver the complete projects within the agreed timelines.
“We have said we have no business with road contractors who are delaying the work of the people of Kenya, yet they have been paid by the government. While we will be severing our ties with the non-performing contractors, we will also reward the diligent ones with additional contracts as a motivation,” he said.
The DP spoke in Mathira Nyeri County after inspecting the construction progress of the Gatiki-Gathugu-Mung’etho road.
The 11-kilometer stretch of road is being undertaken by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURRA).
He said that the government is heavily investing in the transport infrastructure as a way of opening up the rural economies and creating employment opportunities for hundreds of young people working on the road construction sites.
The second in command said the government is spending Sh45 billion to construct 775 kilometers of tarmac across the six constituencies in Nyeri.
He noted that the Gatiki-Gathugu-Mung’etho road will be particularly beneficial to the farmers in Konyu by easing access to markets for their produce.
“We want to improve access to agricultural produce to the market, especially coffee and milk, which is the main economic activity in this area. We do not want a situation where dairy farmers have to pour milk because they cannot access the market owing to poor roads,” said Kindiki.
On agriculture the DP noted that government-led reforms in the different sub-sectors, particularly in the coffee sub-sector, were bearing fruit.
He said that due to the reforms, coffee farmers were now earning more from their coffee production, with each farmer taking home between Sh100 and Sh150 for every kilogram of cherry.
“We eliminated brokers in the coffee sub-sector; we subsidized fertilizer and also distributed improved varieties of coffee seedlings to our farmers. These efforts have tremendously improved production. In 2022, a coffee farmer was earning between Sh50 and Sh60 for a kilogram of cherry, but today the earnings per kilogram have doubled,” he noted, adding that the government is working to ensure that they also stabilize milk prices for dairy farmers.
On electricity connectivity, the Deputy President said that out of the Sh650 million that will be used to connect 12,000 households with electricity under the Last Mile Connectivity Project.
Out of this budget, Prof. Kindiki revealed that Sh55 million will go towards connecting some 717 households in the Mathira constituency with electricity.
Prof. Kindiki emphasized that numerous projects being undertaken by the government were geared at improving the lives of Kenyans.
He noted that in Nyeri County alone, the government is constructing 13 Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) markets, 10 affordable housing projects, and 6 student accommodation projects.
He said to improve access to health care, the government had set aside Sh1 billion for expansion of the Mwai Kibaki in Othaya and another Sh1 billion for the expansion of the Nyeri County Referral Hospital.
“This is what we are focused on: developing every part of the country and putting more earnings in the pockets of farmers and improving the lives of the people. As a government, this is the best reward that we can give to the country for giving us the mandate to work for them as an administration,” DP stated.
Delving into politics, Kindiki called for unity and political tolerance among leaders as the country heads to the 2027 General Elections.
He called on the Mount Kenya region to embrace peaceful political competition, noting that the region shall remain united despite being affiliated with different political formations.
“We don’t have another county to seek refuge in, so we must maintain peace. I also want to urge the people of Mount Kenya to remain united. Politics will come and go, but let us remain united despite our different political opinions,” he said.
By Wangari Mwangi and Samuel Maina
