SGR contractor denies damaging Kajiado school

A woman points at cracks on a classroom floor that residents blame on a construction firm. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

A Chinese company constructing the Standard Gauge Railway has denied that it’s blasting activities have damaged a school.

China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) said it was not responsible for cracks which appeared on the walls of Oloosirkon Primary in Tuala because the school was outside the blasting radius.

In a letter seen by The Standard, company spokesman Steve Zhao said that after receiving complaints mid last year, CCCC sent engineers to the school to assess the situation.

Mr Zhao said that in the spirit of corporate social responsibility, CCCC representatives met and decided to donate funds to build three classrooms to address a pressing need of the school.

“An agreement was signed between CCCC SGR Section 1 Site Office and Tonik Contractors Ltd, a sub-contractor who was proposed by Oloosirkon Primary School to carry out the construction work,” said Zhao.

He said construction of the classrooms started on April 19 and they were yet to be handed over for use by the pupils. "We strive to ensure that the SGR project ... brings good tidings to the communities living along the SGR corridor."

The contractor was responding to a media story where the Senate Committee on Roads, Infrastructure and Housing, chaired by Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu) labeled the classrooms “death traps” during a visit to monitor the situation following an outcry by residents.

The residents of Twala, Nkoroi and Kambi Moto told the committee that the Chinese firm had caused “serious environmental, health and social damages”.

They listed dust, noise and vibrations from the quarries as some of the adverse environmental and social effects they suffered. The residents were also concerned that the contractor left the quarries uncovered.

Mr Wamatangi issued an ultimatum for the building of the classrooms to be expedited. The school was ordered to be shut as construction continued.