Government stops construction of rural roads in 29 counties

Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) has stopped construction of roads in 29 counties.

The authority has instructed all its regional managers to stop the roadworks until the Office of the Attorney General appeals against a ruling that was issued by the High Court in Nairobi on December 11 following a petition filed by the Council of Governors.

KeRRA ordered the stoppage of the work through an internal communication dated December 30, 2015 which has been seen by The Standard.

This means thousands of kilometres of roads that were damaged by the El Nino rains will remain impassable until the dispute is resolved.

Governors have sued several bodies of the national government in a bid to wrest control of construction and maintenance of major roads in the counties.

The county chiefs have sued the Attorney General, Kerra, Kenya Urban Roads Authority, National Highways Authority and the Transition Authority seeking the control of the multi-billion shillings infrastructures.

The High Court has already issued a temporary injunction on the respondents not to build or carry out maintenance work on the roads until the case is heard and determined.

The counties affected include Kirinyaga, Isiolo, Marsabit, Kitui, Meru, Mombasa, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Makueni, Kajiado, Machakos, Samburu, Baringo, Nakuru, Mandera and Wajir.

Others are Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, West Pokot, Turkana, Vihiga, Kakamega, Homa Bay, Kisii, Kisumu, Kilifi and Tana River.

In Nakuru County, residents of Murunyu who have been looking forward to the rehabilitation of Kiti-Murunyu road will have to wait much longer for work to commence on the dilapidated road.

Last October, governors through their chairman Peter Munya demanded more money to maintain roads from the National Treasury, terming the Sh3.3billion allocated to them as inadequate.

The money was channeled through the Kenya Roads Board for maintenance of roads in urban centres.

Out of the Sh3.3 billion, most counties received an average of Sh80 million which governors said was not enough since approximately 70 per cent of roads were under county governments.

Nairobi County received the biggest share of Sh165 million followed by Turkana, which was allocated Sh133 million, while Kakamega and Mandera counties each got Sh113 million.

Nakuru got Sh103 million while Lamu received the least amount of Sh26 million. Isiolo County was given Sh38 million.

The allocation was in line with the County Allocation of Revenue Act, 2015 and Gazette Notice No. 87 of August, 19 2015.