By Faith Anene, Kakamega
The government has stepped up its crackdown efforts on underperforming contractors in a bid to restore efficiency and accountability in the rollout of development projects initiated under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Delivery and Government Efficiency, Eliud Owalo, said during an inspection tour in Kakamega County that the state would no longer tolerate contractors who underperform, particularly those leveraging on political connections to avoid accountability.
“We will not allow any contractor who has been awarded a government contract and fails to perform because he thinks he is related to a government official or a politician,” Mr Owalo said while addressing journalists in Lurambi on Wednesday “This impunity must come to an end.”
He confirmed that the government had already terminated the contract for C41 road road (Lurambi – Navakholo–Musikoma road) due to poor performance and unnecessary delays.
He said the contractor was not only removed from the site but also blacklisted from participating future government tenders. “There is one contractor whose contract we are cancelling and blacklisting in Malava Water Project Lot (II). He will be debarred from undertaking any government projects in the future,” he said.
Mr Owalo also expressed concern over a growing trend in which contractors bid for multiple projects, despite lacking the technical and financial capacity to complete them.
“We are witnessing a worrying trend where some contractors are biting off more than they can chew,” he said. “They aggressively pursue numerous tenders, quote unrealistically low prices to win bids, and ultimately struggle to deliver the awarded projects.”
Mr Owalo said the tendency by some contractors to overstretch themselves was undermining key government development programmes.
He warned that the government would not allow public resources to be tied up in non-performing contracts and added that any contractor who consistently under-delivered due to overstretched capacity would be recommended for blacklisting.
He didn’t spare public officials either, warning that supervisors found to be colluding with contractors to sign off on incomplete or substandard work would be held accountable. “If there is any officer in government who accepts substandard work, we will go after them and hold them to account. They will be surcharged for any lost public funds,” he added.
Mr Owalo noted that despite concerns over underperformance in some areas, several government projects in Kakamega County were showing promising progress.
He said the Milimani Affordable Housing Project in Kakamega Town, spearheaded by the State Department for Housing and Urban Development at a cost of Ksh472 million, was 78 percent complete. The development is expected to deliver 220 housing units, including studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments.
He added that the Malava–Kimang’eti–Ikoli Road, stretching 10.4 kilometres, was being upgraded to bitumen standards by the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) at a cost of Ksh542 million and was nearing completion.
According to him, the project was 88 percent complete, and procurement for the remaining 2.6 kilometres was already underway, with a new contractor expected to be brought on board to finish the work.
Mr Owalo also highlighted two major water infrastructure projects being implemented by the Lake Victoria North Water Works Development Agency (LVNWWDA).
He said the Malava Water Supply and Sanitation Project (Lot 1), valued at Ksh886 million, and the Namagara Water Supply and Sanitation Project (Lot 2), costing Ksh844 million was also underway.
It involves the construction of extensive pipeline networks, water treatment facilities, and storage reservoirs aimed at improving access to clean water and will serve at least 500 households.
In the mining sector, he pointed to the Kakamega Gold Refinery Project in Iguhu, a Ksh5.8 billion industrial initiative by the State Department for Mining, which he said was expected to transform the local artisanal gold mining industry by introducing formal processing infrastructure.
Other projects he cited included the Lunza–Shiraha Market–Ikolomani–Manyulia–Ikonyero–Akatsa–Eshibinga Road, a 37-kilometre stretch being constructed by China International Water and Electric Corporation under KeRRA management, with a total budget of Ksh1.7 billion.
He also said that the ongoing development of the Lunza ESP Market, described as a key local business hub, at a cost of Ksh117 million.
Additionally, he said the Mumias–Musanda Road, spanning 16 kilometres and implemented at a cost of Ksh628.3 million, was nearing completion at 98 percent.
