The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) came under pressure from the National Assembly's Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy after lawmakers raised concerns over delays in completing the Likoni Bridge construction in Nairobi County.
The lawmakers' concerns followed an Auditor General's report indicating that although construction of the road began five years ago with a one-year completion timeline, the multimillion-shilling project remains incomplete four years past the scheduled timeline.
The Likoni Bridge construction is part of a government tender awarded to a construction company for the improvement of Nairobi Lot 2 - Upgrading of Shreeji Road and Parts of Likoni and Enterprise Roads.
According to the report by the Auditor General, the government awarded a total of Ksh892.6 million for the project, yet the contractor has only managed to complete 86 percent of the project four years later.
The project also included another three years' Performance Based Contract (PBC) on maintenance at a cost of Ksh13,250,790, a project that is yet to be completed.
The committee members, led by Chairperson David Pkosing (Pokot South), made the remarks during an inspection tour of KURA offices along Mombasa Road, where he underscored the importance of ensuring government projects deliver value for public funds.
"Every government project should be completed within the required timeline and be useful to the people of Kenya," Pkosing urged.
The inspection tour was attended by the Director General of KURA, Eng Silas Kinoti, and the Kenya Railway Corporation's Eng Mwania Mativo.
Defending KURA, Kinoti indicated that major works had been completed, with only a 0.18 km overlay remaining at the bridge section. He added that 86 percent of Enterprise Road had been completed, and 73 percent of Shreeji Road had been accomplished.
"Chairman and Members, having completed major works, the expansion of the existing bridge was excluded due to new requirements from the Kenya Railways Corporation," noted Kinoti.
In response to concerns about whether the government would cover the adjustment costs for the Likoni Bridge, KURA explained that while the expansion was not initially included in the budget, it would require additional resources to implement.
The lawmakers urged both Kenya Railways Corporation and KURA to discuss joint funding for the bridge expansion for the benefit of the country.
Further, the committee directed the Director General of KURA to proceed with the construction of the bridge and complete it by June 2025.
The MPs, however, indicated that the Kenya Railways Corporation's concern regarding lifting the bridge to 7.1 meters by expanding it by 2 meters would be considered during the implementation of the electric railway, which seemed far-reaching at the moment.
The three projects were part of former President Uhuru Kenyatta's initiatives to manage traffic congestion in the Industrial Area of Nairobi.
