Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua announced plans to raise Ksh900 billion to revive stalled projects that were launched by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Speaking on Saturday, January 21, in Othaya, Nyeri County, Gachagua assured leaders that President William Ruto would revive the stalled road projects by April 2023.
While dismissing reports that Ruto's administration was punishing regions that did not support his presidency, Gachagua insisted that they had devised means to pay contractors to continue executing road projects launched during Uhuru's era.
He lamented that the projects had stalled due to huge debts accrued during the former President's term.
"Most road projects had stalled because our contractors had not been paid. We found a debt totaling Ksh900 billion on road projects.
"We must find a new way of raising funds to pay the contractors for them to continue with the construction works. In two or three months, we will raise some money and pay them," Gachagua stated.
The Deputy President was responding to concerns raised by the area leaders during the burial of Mary Wangeci Kambono. The leaders argued that several projects were abandoned by the previous administration over perceived support for Ruto against his main competitor, Raila Odinga.
However, Gachagua dismissed the claims maintaining that Ruto was keen to serve all citizens.
The former Mathira MP was speaking at the burial of Kambono who is the mother of Bishop Daniel Kambono, the Chairman of the Association of Pentecostal and Evangelical Clergy of Kenya (APECK).
At the same time, Gachagua vowed to spearhead reforms in the coffee, tea and milk sub-sectors despite resistance from cartels.
"President William Ruto has tasked me to eliminate the middlemen and bridge the farmer to the consumer for maximum benefits.
"Cartels are vicious. They are fighting back through propaganda. We will deal with them once and for all," the second in command insisted.
