Contractors handling national government projects in Kericho County have been formally put on notice after a high-level inspection revealed gaps in capacity, compliance and project delivery.
The caution comes after the Government Delivery Unit reinforce its commitment to safeguard public investments through strict monitoring and accountability mechanisms.
This warning was issued during a comprehensive day-long tour across the county in which the team assessed progress on key infrastructure initiatives including, Kapkatet Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) market, Kerenga Airstrip and Upgrade to Bitumen Standards of various Roads in Belgut Sub-County, and the Majengo Talai Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) in Kericho Town.
Speaking at the Majengo-Talai Affordable Housing Project in Kericho Town after leading inspections of all government-funded sites, Deputy Chief of Staff for Delivery and Government Efficiency Mr. Eliud Owalo said the government cannot allow taxpayer-financed projects to stall or underperform at a time when development remains central to Kenya’s long-term growth agenda.
Mr Owalo observed cases where certain contractors bid for multiple projects using different company names despite lacking adequate machinery, skilled personnel and financial capacity, a practice which he said delays implementation, undermines quality assurance and disrupts development timelines that communities are counting on.
“We therefore urge all procuring entities to conduct thorough due diligence and caution contractors that non-performance, diversion of resources, failure to honour meetings or hiding behind political patronage will attract blacklisting because every public project must be implemented to full completion and must deliver measurable value for Kenyan taxpayers,” Owalo stressed.
He explained that the inspection mission, undertaken jointly with National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) led by the County Commissioner Mr. Jeremiah Mwai Gicheru, brought together engineers, planners and technical experts from implementing agencies such as the State Department for Housing, the Kenya Airports Authority and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority to ensure a unified and evidence-based assessment of each project’s actual status on the ground.
Owalo further said that at the Majengo–Talai site, they were reviewing the detailed implementation plan of the 322-unit Sh778.2 million housing development under the Affordable Housing Programme, which he noted is a cornerstone of the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
The project, he added aimed at expanding home ownership, creating jobs and improving settlement conditions for ordinary Kenyans, with the project currently at 42 per cent completion and expected to be finalized within five months.
He revealed that beyond creating hundreds of skilled and unskilled jobs for a total of 137 local youth, the project has attracted increased participation from Jua Kali artisans, local suppliers and youth groups who are providing doors, windows, metal works, masonry services and other essential inputs that firmly anchor the development within the local economy and strengthen community ownership.
Owalo and the team also inspected the Kapkatet ESP Market, a Sh162.1 million modern trading hub now at 71 percent completion, where he noted that it has been designed to reorganize and uplift the operations of small-scale traders by providing dignified stalls, well-structured business spaces and essential amenities that were previously unavailable in the area.
He emphasized that the market features ICT-equipped stations for digital transactions, water-driven sanitation blocks that enhance hygiene, lactation rooms that support mothers in business and properly ventilated stalls that protect traders from extreme weather conditions.
The delegation also toured the Sh192 million Kerenga Airstrip in Kapsuser, Belgut Sub-County, with Mr Owalo noting that its 1.2-kilometre, 23-metre-wide runway, scheduled for completion by November 2026, will enhance passenger and cargo movement, boost tourism, support agricultural logistics and stimulate manufacturing across Kericho and the surrounding regions.
The government delegation also evaluated the 13-kilometre Kapsuser–Sosiot and Kapsuser–Kipsolu roads in Belgut Constituency, which have been upgraded to bitumen standards at a cost of Sh906 million and are now at 99 percent completion, with works set to be fast-tracked for official commissioning.
In addition, the team reviewed the 42-kilometre Chebirirbei–Momul–Sosiot–Kiplamat road, a transformative corridor connecting Belgut and Soin–Sigowet constituencies, implemented by KeRRA at a cost of Sh3 billion and currently at 10 per cent progress, which is scheduled for completion in 2028.
The project is expected to enhance inter-county connectivity, provide better access to schools and markets, and unlock new economic opportunities for local communities.
Other government officials present during the inspection, assessment, and verification mission included the County Director of Housing Ms. Annabel Wangari, representatives from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), other county stakeholders, and officers from the Government Delivery Unit.
by Kibe Mburu & Hillary Kemei
