Despite the government paying 40 per cent of the funds owed to contractors to resume road construction across the country, contractors in the Central Region have complained that land ownership issues have significantly crippled their ability to complete major road projects in the region.
Contractors say the lack of legitimate title deeds and land succession has delayed the compensation claims process for individuals affected by the construction of the Kenol-Sagana-Marua Highway.
According to reports, the National Land Commission (NLC), which is responsible for land acquisition and processing compensations for individuals affected by road projects, has already paid Ksh3.3 billion to those affected, but it is yet to pay some individuals Ksh1.6 billion due to land ownership issues.
"The delay is because there are some issues in land documentation and succession problems. It took a long time for the land acquisition, but we are happy that we have completed 90 per cent of the work to date, and we plan to complete the whole project by January 2026," one of the contractors said during an interview.
However, according to James Nguyo, Deputy Engineer for Mau Mau roads, the contractor working on the road has already begun work on sections of the road without land disputes and targets to complete seven kilometers of the highway by December this year.
"The contractor has mobilised and is already working on various sections, and the plan is for the contractor to undertake two milestones concurrently, and a total of seven kilometres is planned to be done before this year," Nguyo said.
The claims come a month after Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said that the government is in the process of reviving over 580 road projects across the country after it solved delayed payment to contractors.
Speaking before the National Assembly on Wednesday, July 23, Chirchir claimed that the government has already released 40 per cent of the outstanding payments to contractors, with plans to release another 40 per cent in the coming days.
The CS said that regional engineers have already compiled a progress report on all stalled roads across the country to ensure that their construction is started as soon as possible and they are completed on time.
Chirchir further revealed that he had directed the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), and Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to ensure the effective implementation and management of the projects.
"The biggest challenge has been a lack of liquidity to settle pending bills. That is why contractors halted work," Chirchir said.
"As a Ministry, we have eliminated the excuse of non-payment from contractors. We have now engaged regional engineers from all three road agencies to streamline project delivery and ensure there is value for money in all the road projects in the country," he added.
