More governors lobby to devolve funds for roads

By EVELYN KWAMBOKA

KENYA: Governors in Nyanza Province now claim it would be expensive for the taxpayer if repairs and construction of roads were left to the national government.

The county chiefs said they had the capacity to handle the roads docket that was being managed partially by the councils in their regions.

In a gazette notice published recently, the Transition Authority retained Sh27 billion for county roads and published a partial list of 13 counties to take over devolution functions. This has not been withdrawn even after an agreement was reached between Deputy President William Ruto and governors.

With the gazette notice still in force, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) still have the power to manage the roads.

The governors were speaking separately during a tour by The Standard Group’s management team led by Managing Director, Print Operations, Neema Wamai and Chief Editor John Bundotich, to their offices.

Migori Governor Okoth Obado said the Ministry of Public Roads spends Sh1.3 million on a one-kilometre gravel road yet counties could do 10km at a cost of Sh300,000.

Earth roads

Migori County has only one narrow tarmac road, falling in Category B, from Kisii to Isebania’s Kenya/Tanzania border. The others are earth roads that are impassable during the rainy season.

“I feel sad when we are told that we cannot get the money for maintaining our roads... We have the goodwill and capacity and that is why we should be given the funds,” he said.

Obado took issue with road contractors, saying they charge close to Sh50 million to build 10km of road.

Nyamira Governor John Nyagarama said it was their hope that the national government would accelerate the construction and repair of roads in the region.

His Kisii counterpart, James Ongwae, said roads should be left to counties to manage just like agriculture, water and health.

“Officers who were serving in the ministries of Agriculture, Health and Water have been handed over to us. The same should be done with roads because without good roads, a county’s economy cannot grow,” he added. He said there was need for the county revenue to be increased to 40 per cent to allow the areas develop their infrastructure.

Speaking separately, Maseno University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dominic Makawiti called for efforts to save the boy-child.

“The male child is completely lost. They do things that leave people rethinking and some of them even walk like zombies. We are faced with a generation of men who are not going to be responsible,” he said.

The VC said ignoring the boy-child had led to a large number of them engaging in unacceptable behaviour, adding that it is time for society to act otherwise the current generation of boys will be lost.

“Over 90 per cent of disciplinary cases involve boys. You will find girls in their hostels reading after classes, while boys go out to engage in activities that affect their studies at the end of the day,” he said.

The VC was speaking during a courtesy visit by Ms Wamai and Mr Bundotich.

Campaigns to save the girl-child’s rights have seen the number of those sitting national examinations increase and their performance improve since 1995.

Nyamira Governor John Nyagarama said his government has started a campaign to distribute reusable sanitary towels to girls in school, in a bid to save time lost when they have periods. The governor said that many girls lose up to five days a month, which translates to 60 days a year.