Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi on Sunday revealed that his administration had terminated a contract with a contractor hired during the previous regime.
The contractor who was in charge of constructing Bibirioni Level 4 Hospital in Limuru is said to have delayed the construction process since the awarding of the contract in 2018.
Bibirioni Level Four Hospital which is a 270-bed capacity hospital was first flagged off in May 2018 by the former First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta before stalling in 2019.
“The construction began in 2018 and was to be completed in 2020. But the contractor demonstrated an inability to finish the project,” stated Wamatangi.
According to Wamatangi, the contractor continued to delay the project even after receiving payment for the services in 2022.
“When I took office in 2022, I cleared all his outstanding invoices, together with other contractors who were working on various hospital projects that had stalled, and agreed they return to site,” he added.
However, even after the contractor’s receipt of the funds the project was yet to near completion with the Kiambu County Government citing incompetency.
Additionally, the governor while comparing the Bibirioni Hospital with others which had been revived by him in 2022 stated that the contractor in question failed to show any tangible progress while the rest registered some movement.
“However, those in other projects, notably Rukuma and Thogoto, resumed and continued with the works, the Bibirioni contractor continued with slowness,” stated Wamatangi.
Additionally, a report by the Auditor General on the 2022/2023 financial year exposed how the hospitals stalled despite taking up over Ksh800 million in County funds.
In an indictment of former Kiambu Governor James Nyoro and his predecessor Ferdinand Waititu, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu in her report released in April raised concerns about the status of Bibirioni Level 4 Hospital, Tigoni Hospital, Lari Level 4 Hospital, and the Ruiru Level 4 Hospital.
