School projects stall in Nyamira after contractors exit over pay

 

A view of Egesieri DOK Primary school where construction works have stalled on Jan 8, 2025. [Stanley Ongwae, Standard]

School projects worth Sh2.7 billion, launched by President William Ruto in Nyamira County six months ago, have stalled after contractors abandoned work overpayments.

According to region MPs, the works stalled after the Government failed to pay the contractors as per the agreement, forcing a walk-out from the sites.

The projects, funded by the Kuwait government, were launched by Ruto in July during his visit to the Gusii region for a development tour.

However, since then, little progress has been made at the various sites.

A spot check by The Standard revealed that most works were abandoned at the initial stages of construction, with none progressing beyond the floor slab.

At Egesieri DOK Primary School in West Mugirango, the contractor completed only the floor slab for three rooms meant for Information Communication Technology (ICT), science laboratories, and tuition blocks.

Overgrown grass now nearly covers the hedges of the slab, while mounds of hardcore stones and gravel are fast being overtaken by grass.

The situation is similar at Kenyerere Primary School in Kitutu Masaba constituency and Kiabonyoru Secondary School in North Mugirango, where Ruto officially commissioned construction works for all 72 school projects across Nyamira County.

Gusii Parliamentarians Caucus Chairman Joash Nyamoko blamed the Ministry of Education for the stagnation of the works and accused Jogoo House of failing to properly prepare for the implementation of the projects.

Nyamoko said the ministry erred by failing to institute a project coordination and implementation unit tasked with ensuring the smooth running of the works.

“The project implementation committee would conduct periodic evaluations. For instance, project costs are set to rise after Parliament enacted taxes on steel and other building materials. How can contractors cope with without such a unit?” Nyamoko said.

He also criticised the ministry’s decision to pool contractors, awarding them multiple projects without considering their capacity to complete the works efficiently.

“The ministry decided to award contractors more than one project without due consideration of their efficiency to complete the works as required. This is a setback,” Nyamoko added.

Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo said the Government’s failure to include area MPs in the planning was deliberate. “As MPs, we’ve been kept in the dark about the implementation of the works. The only thing we know is that the projects are ongoing, but we cannot provide oversight as the contractors do not engage with us,” Gisairo said.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba defended the government, explaining that delays in processing funds stemmed from the strict conditions tied to donor funding.

“We have to work within the conditions set by the donors of the projects. For instance, contractors raised the first payment certificates, but the Kuwait government must be involved in the process. That’s why it has taken so long,” Ogamba said.

The stalling of the projects means that some of the schools, where the funds were intended to help, will have to deal with challenges until the facilities are fully constructed.