By W, KNA
The government has cleared more than 60 per cent of all pending bills owed to road contractors, paving way for resumption of works on stalled projects across the country.
At the same time, through the Ministry of the Transport and Infrastructure, the state has equally put in place measures to ensure that no new pending bills accrue from on-going road projects throughout the country.
Chair of the parliamentary committee on Transport and Infrastructure, George Kariuki says, “As of now we have covered over 60 per cent of the pending bills and you know the total pending bills when president Dr. William Ruto took over was a trillion shillings. So he has done a good job to ensure all our contractors are paid and most of them are back to work,” .
Kariuki, who is also the Ndia member of parliament, also defended the recent decision by the Ministry of Transport to tap part of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) to finance road construction.
He said that the move to securitize 28 per cent of the Fund would enable the government to raise Sh175 billion which will be used to pay contractors and forestall the possibility of having stalled projects.
“The president has done a good job with support from the Transport and Infrastructure CS, Davis Chirchir in ensuring that we securitize the little resources we have, so as to raise adequate monies to pay the cumulative pending bills,” said Kariuki.
Regarding the status of road projects in the region, the MP said that the government was keen on completion of the Kenol-Sagana-Marua dual carriageway, which had stalled at the Kangocho –Marua section due to delayed compensation claims.
Kariuki confirmed that the government had already released compensation for 897 Project Affected Persons (PAPs), whose land was hived off to allow for the dualling of the 84-kilometre highway.
“The government is focused on ensuring that nobody loses his/her property. One thing we need to appreciate is that the government believes in the rule of law and upholding property rights. I don’t think we will have any issue with the project affected persons. In due course people will be compensated and we will complete the remaining bit of the project,” said the MP.
Additionally, the government had released Sh60 million for the construction of the Tumutumu-Kiagoma road, which is expected to ease access for the residents living in Wakamata to the PCEA Tumutumu Mission hospital in Nyeri county.
“We are at the contracting stage and very soon we will get a contractor, who will come to implement that project,” he said.
Kariuki spoke at the Tumutumu mixed Secondary school, Mathira West sub county, where he was accompanied by the Mathira legislator Eric Wamumbi and Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga.
During the function, the trio helped in raising Sh7.2 million to support the overall renovation of the school and also enable construction of a dining hall for the students.
On politics, Kariuki called for tolerance among the elected leaders, urging them to tone down on empty rhetoric and all other things that don’t add value to the common people.
Instead, the MP appealed to his colleagues to refocus their energies on enhancing livelihoods and the general social economic status of the electorate.
“Let us remain focused on good governance because in the absence of it, we will not be able to achieve our objectives.
Our main objective as elected leaders is eradication of poverty, so that our people live and enjoy a better life,” said Kariuki.
