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MPs initiate steps to settle Sh155.9 billion road debt, revive stalled projects

A file photo of lawmakers during a parliamentary session. (Photo: National Assembly)

By Apollo Ochieng | Tuesday, February 13, 2024

The delays in clearing the pending bills have been cited as the cause of slowed progress of works resulting in delayed project completion.

The government has set in motion plans to clear the Sh155.9 billion owed to road contractors to pave the way for the completion of various road projects that have stalled across the country.

National Assembly's Road and Infrastructure Committee chairman George Kariuki on Tuesday said that his team had submitted a list of all pending bills owed to contractors to the Pending Bills and Verification Committee.

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The committee, which was established by President William Ruto last year, is expected to scrutinize and audit the bills before authorizing payments.

"As Parliament, we are prioritizing the ongoing projects to ensure that all pending payments to contractors are paid and that stalled works are completed before we initiate others," Kariuki said.

The committee chairman added that once scrutinized and approved, payments should begin at the start of the upcoming financial year.

"I want to tell the people that there is hope that in the coming months, contractors will resume to complete the entire stalled projects," Kariuki said.

Estimates by the Ministry of Roads and Public Works currently show that road agencies in the country had pending bills totalling Sh155.9 billion as of September 30, 2023.

The Kenya National Highways Authority, according to the ministry, has the highest amount of pending bills at Sh82.5 billion.

This is while the Kenya Urban Roads Authority and Kenya Rural Roads Authority have pending bills amounting to about Sh14.1 billion and Sh59.2 billion respectively.

Equally, land compensation and relocation of services account for approximately 25 per cent (39.4 billion) of the pending bills as of September 30, 2023.

The delays in clearing the pending bills have been cited as the cause of slowed progress of works resulting in delayed project completion, interest and other claims.

Kariuki also added that Parliament had already approved the road levy funds for the upgrading and murraming of roads in counties.

"Those roads utilizing fuel levy commonly known as road maintenance levy fund, are ongoing and the committee will continue to support constituencies to get levy funds for road improvements in local areas," Kariuki said.