Raila’s backyard Left Out of KeNHA’s New Road Tenders

The latest tenders for road maintenance released by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) on August 15 have raised concerns as major roads and bridges in the Nyanza region are noticeably absent.

While other parts of the country have received projects funded by the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), the exclusion of Nyanza’s projects has caught attention.

KeNHA’s list includes 165 roadworks across 11 regions for the first two quarters of the Financial Year 2023-2024. Surprisingly, the roads in the political stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga, Nyanza, are missing from the list.

Only a single road connecting Kisii to Kadongo, extending to Ahero, has been included despite the region’s significant need for road repairs.

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In President William Ruto’s Rift Valley region, KeNHA has allocated resources for maintaining 40 road infrastructure projects. South Rift will see the development of 10 roads, while North Rift will have 30 roads improved.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s home region, Mt. Kenya, will have 37 roads maintained using public funds. Central will receive 11 roads, and the remaining roads will be in Upper Eastern, comprising Meru, Tharaka Nithi, and Embu Counties.

North Eastern will witness the resurfacing of 37 roads, a considerable portion of road development under KeNHA.

KeNHA plans to undertake 22 road maintenance projects in Lower Eastern, encompassing Kitui, Makueni, and Machakos Counties.

In the western region, 10 roads are designated for maintenance, while the Coast region is allocated only 6 roads.

KeNHA’s plans also include maintenance of two roads at Headquarters and six roads in Nairobi. Consultancy services for the construction supervision of the New Tana River Bridge and approach roads along Ukasi-Garissa-Modika (A3) Road have been tendered at Headquarters.

Mariakani-Kwa Jomvu (A8) Road in the Coast Region will receive a framework contract for handling emergencies.

A lobby group, Linda Ugatuzi, has announced its intent to petition the parliament about Nyanza’s exclusion.

The group’s director, Prof Fred Ogola, questioned if the government was living up to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s warning that development would be withheld if legislators didn’t vote for the Finance Bill.

Prof. Ogola emphasized that Nyanza deserved its share of development, considering its contribution to fuel levies like other regions. If Parliament doesn’t address the matter promptly, the group threatens to escalate the issue to the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).