Senators grill CS Chirchir over stalled road, bridge projects
The senators accused the Ministry of failing to prioritise key infrastructure works, leaving many counties stuck with incomplete projects years after their launch.
Senators have grilled the Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary, Davis Chirchir, over stalled road and bridge projects across the country, blaming delayed payments, funding gaps and weak project supervision for the slow progress.
In a session on Wednesday, the legislators accused the Ministry of failing to prioritise key infrastructure works, leaving many counties stuck with incomplete projects years after their launch.
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Chirchir faced tough questions on multiple delayed projects and payment backlogs, with senators pressing for clear timelines and funding commitments.
Responding to Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu’s concerns over the stalled Kakuku–Ekalakala–Matuu Road, Chirchir admitted that the contractor, Kitho Civil & Engineering Co. Ltd, ran into financial trouble soon after construction started in 2015.
He explained that while the Ministry moved to terminate the contract in 2019, the contractor challenged the decision through arbitration, forcing the Ministry to allow subcontracting to avoid further delays.
“To address the impasse, the contractor was allowed to subcontract, but even that did not resolve the problem immediately,” the CS told the Senate.
He revealed that only 54 per cent of the work had been completed over 92 months, despite the project initially being scheduled for just 24 months.
“We recently disbursed Sh88 million and received commitment from the subcontractor to resume works by the end of June 2025. We now expect completion by December 2026,” Chirchir said.
On the construction of two key bridges in Masinga Sub-county, Senator Kavindu questioned the lack of progress. Chirchir said that designs for both the Thika River bridge and the Miu ya Ng’ang’a culvert were complete, but no funding had been allocated in the current financial year.
“The Thika River bridge is projected to cost Sh20 million while the Miu ya Ng’ang’a culvert requires Sh15 million. These works will proceed once funds are secured,” he said.
Senator Kavindu also sought updates on the delayed Devki–Kinanie Leather Park Road in Athi River. Chirchir acknowledged a two-year delay caused by non-payment of Sh1.7 billion in pending certificates from as far back as 2022.
“The contractor resumed work after receiving the payment in 2024. We have allocated Sh400 million in the 2025/2026 budget, and the project is expected to be completed by January 2026,” he explained.
Providing an update on overall infrastructure development in Machakos, Chirchir said five major road projects were underway under KeRRA, including the Kenol–Ngoleni–Mutituni Road, Matuu–Ekalakala–Kangulu Road, and the Tala–Donyo Sabuk Road, among others.
“We have cleared over Sh380 million in pending bills in Machakos and projects will continue as funds are made available,” he said.
In response to Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei’s questions on the stalled Nairobi–Nakuru–Eldoret dual carriageway, Chirchir explained that the project was initially awarded under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework, but the procurement process was annulled.
“We have initiated a fresh PPP procurement process to identify a suitable concessionaire,” he said.
On the Mau Summit–Eldoret section, he added that the project was still at the design stage due to a lack of construction funds.
Cherargei also sought clarity on the proposed upgrade of the Eldoret–Kapsabet road. Chirchir responded that the road had been redesigned into a 27-kilometre dual carriageway, but construction would only start once funds were secured.
“Periodic maintenance works along the broader Eldoret–Chavakali corridor will begin in June 2025,” he noted.
Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo raised concerns over the pace of work on the Mombasa–Mtwapa–Kilifi road and the lack of street lighting at the Kibarani–Changamwe interchange. Chirchir reported that Lot 1, covering Mombasa to Mtwapa, was 42 per cent complete, while Lot 2, from Mtwapa to Kilifi, stood at 64 per cent.
“We project that Lot 1 will be completed by November 2026 and Lot 2 by March 2026. Installation of street lights will begin in June 2025,” he said.
He also addressed the second Nyali Bridge project, saying that feasibility studies under the PPP framework were still ongoing.
Chirchir assured the Senate that his Ministry was committed to completing all ongoing works, clearing pending payments and prioritising projects in counties that have long been underserved.
“We will continue to focus on projects with the highest socio-economic benefits,” he said.
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