Audit reveals delays in Nairobi rail project over incomplete Likoni Bridge
The railways agency is embroiled in a tussle with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) over the improvement of Nairobi Lot 2, which entails the upgrading of Shreeji Road and parts of Likoni and Enterprise roads.
The Auditor General has revealed that various contractors working on key Nairobi infrastructure projects, including the Likoni Road bridge, failed to meet project timelines, threatening the implementation of the city’s electric commuter train system.
In a fresh audit that exposes stalled public works in the capital, the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has been put on the spot for derailing the construction of the Likoni Bridge in Nairobi, an essential component of the planned light electric commuter rail.
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The railways agency is embroiled in a tussle with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) over the improvement of Nairobi Lot 2, which entails the upgrading of Shreeji Road and parts of Likoni and Enterprise roads. The Sh892,661,116 contract was awarded on September 8, 2020, with a projected completion period of 24 months, ending September 30, 2022.
“Likoni Road bridge was incomplete, despite the time lapse. The contractor had not submitted design drawings for the proposed bridge structure. A section of Shreeji Road was incomplete as the contractor was doing earthworks at the time of audit,” Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said in her latest report.
“In the circumstances, the project was not completed on the revised date of April 8, 2023, thus adversely impacting the realisation of value for money.”
The Likoni Road bridge section remains pending, with the outstanding works now way past the original contractual timelines. As a result, the Public Investment Committee on Energy and Commercial Affairs directed KRC to secure the funds needed to complete the stalled works.
“We directed Kenya Railways to lead fundraising for the bridge to reach the heights it requires,” the Committee Chair, David Pkosing, said.
The move followed revelations that Kura, which is tasked with implementing the road upgrade, lacked the Sh400 million required for the bridge, an underpass meant to facilitate the movement of trains shuttling between Nairobi’s main railway station and Makadara.
Kenya Railways CEO Philip Mainga told Parliament that the corporation would support the completion of the project, in line with the committee’s directive.
He explained that the change in the bridge’s design was meant to standardise the structure and accommodate the future electric train system.
“So we wanted the bridge constructed with those facilities in place,” Mainga said.
He added that the electric trains are part of the larger and much-anticipated Nairobi Railway City project, and that KRC has been collaborating with Kura on various infrastructure projects.
“We shared the designs with Kura and agreed on what to do. The roads agency has no budget. We will create an additional budget and allow Kura to finish the bridge,” he said.
“We don’t see a cost overrun. If we can agree on a variation with our financiers, we can help Kura.”
Kura Director General Silas Kinoti, who has also backed the plan, said they would look for resources within the current road project to support the construction of the bridge.
“We have to look for resources to support the project. We will sit and see where to make variations to include the bridge and reduce the strain on the exchequer,” Kinoti said.
He noted that although there were prior agreements with the contractor for the Sh890 million upgrade project, the law allows for project variations where necessary.
Gathungu had also questioned the initial contract’s scope, which included rehabilitation and dualling of Shreeji Road, construction of walkways, drains, and the expansion of an existing bridge, raising concerns over why the Likoni bridge had stalled despite time and budget allocations.
The delays now cast doubt over the timely delivery of Nairobi’s electric commuter rail, a project aimed at transforming urban mobility and reducing traffic congestion in the city.
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