Sh30billion required to repair roads from rains damage, Roads and Transport CS Murkomen say
The government is planning to spend a whooping Sh30billion to repair roads infrastructure network from the damage caused by the heavy rains that have pounded the country in the recent past few weeks, Roads Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced.
Murkomen said that the government is facing a daunting task of restoring transport infrastructure ravaged by floods.
He spoke today in Lamu county during an inspection tour of the damaged road networks linking the Port of Lamu.
He lamented that there has been significant economic loss caused by the destruction of key road infrastructure.
However, in the past, lucrative tenders of road rehabilitation works have been controversially awarded to prominent personalities and power brokers close to the powers that be.
For instance, the rehabilitation works of the Mombasa Road from damage caused during the construction of the Nairobi Expressway worth Sh3.2billion awarded in favour of Shovels & Trowels belonging to Chepkirui Kones, the wife of Belgut MP and chairperson of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, Nelson Koech is yet to be completed.
The disruption has also affected the movement of cargo from the Port of Lamu to neighboring countries.
He explained how the situation has made it difficult for evacuation of a consignment of 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer belonging to Ethiopia, which was brought in through the Port of Lamu from Morocco.
“For instance, we have been marketing the Port of Lamu for many years. And through the Lamu Port- South Sudan-Ethiopia- Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Development Authority and Ethiopia agreed to use the port of Lamu to bring in their cargo which brings us business. They have brought in 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer which is still at the port. Immediately it arrived and wanted to celebrate the moment alongside ministers from Ethiopia, this flood situation struck us and that has brought a lot of problems.” Murkomen said.
He, however, assured the government of Ethiopia that alternative routes are being explored to address the issue.
“We are exploring alter- native routes to address this problem even as we prepare to begin restoration of critical infrastructure across the country.” Murkomen remarked.
Regarding the extent of the damage caused by floods, the CS said preliminary findings have established that the government will require between Sh25 billion and Sh30 billion to reinstate roads and bridges across the country.
“We have conducted an assessment of the damage caused by floods so far and we have established that the extent of the loss is devastating. We have lost a number of roads and bridges in the country. Even though we will finally conduct the validation of the findings we have gathered that the amount of money required to restore the damaged resources is a lot.” The CS noted.
Further, he noted that an assessment of the damage caused by floods is almost complete, adding plans are afoot to engage the Parliament to set aside the necessary resources.
The CS came face to face with the ugly situation between Gamba and Lango la Simba.
