Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has intervened after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) decried slow progress of a Ksh4.4 Billion road project.
The roads agency had earlier expressed concern that the contractor, China State Corporation Contractors Limited, would not complete Kitale-Suam road that transverses Trans Nzoia County within the set timelines.
The 45-kilometre road was initially to be completed by August 2020 but the revised completion period is February 25, 2022.
KeNHA stated that there was a need to improve cash flow into the project in order to meet the deadline adding that
The Interior CS during a meeting with Trans Nzoia Governor Patrick Khaemba on Monday, March 1, stated that the government would appoint a special manager to hasten the completion of the road.
He affirmed that the government would not condone the delay of State projects in any part of the country.
Matiang'i divulged that the special manager would be answerable to the Transport Cabinet Secretary to ensure the project does not extend before the 18-months extended period.
He also stated that a Special Deputy County Commissioner would be posted to the county to fast-track land adjudication matters.
The project is currently behind schedule with the progress at 58.7 percent against the expected 78 percent of elapsed time.
The road is expected to encourage more cross-border trade between Kenya and Uganda through the Suam border.
The project also includes the construction of a one-stop-border-post at Suam area.
This road, together with the Ugandan road that connects to it, the Kapchorwa–Suam Road, form an important transport corridor between the two countries, sometimes referred to as the Kapchorwa–Suam–Endebess–Kitale–Eldoret Road Corridor.
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