This archive report was first published on 11 July 2020.
Published on July 11, 2020, a Chinese contractor has abandoned a Ksh 2.1 billion road project launched by Deputy President William Ruto in Uasin Gishu County.
The project, which aimed to connect Uasin Gishu and Kakamega counties, was launched in November 2018 and was expected to be completed in November 2021.
However, the contractor disappeared after receiving Ksh 2 million as an advance payment, having only constructed 10% of the project.
Uasin Gishu County Commissioner Abdirisack Jaldesa lamented, "The project is already way behind schedule and the contractor has not shown any intentions to complete the project on time."
Despite the contractor's claims that the Coronavirus pandemic and financial constraints forced them to desert the site, the Uasin Gishu County Development Implementation Coordination Committee (CDICC) accused the engineer of violating contract terms.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had ordered his Cabinet Secretaries to take over the inspection of government projects across the country, taking away the role from DP Ruto, who was accused of advancing his political mileage through inspection of government projects.
A team from the President's Delivery Unit (PDU) led by Rift Valley regional director Truphosa Awuor toured the site and urged the contractor to hasten the construction to ease transport between the two counties.
