Nairobi: The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works has embarked on a crucial inspection tour of infrastructure development projects in the coastal region. The Committee will tour key multibillion shilling infrastructure projects in the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River and Taita Taveta.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Committee members, led by the Vice-Chairperson and Member of Parliament (MP) for Buuri Constituency Rindikiri Mugambi, seek to ensure quality and timely delivery of ongoing public infrastructure projects. Other members who accompanied the Vice-Chairperson included Jane Kagiri (Laikipia), John Waluke (Sirisia), Maurice Kakai (Kiminini), Joseph Cherorot (Kipkelion East), Joshua Kimilu (Kaiti), Said Hiribae (Galole) and Caleb Mule (Machakos Town).
Mugambi stated that the Committee is touring public works under the Affordable Housing Projects (AHP) and Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) markets. Across the country, a significant large-scale Affordable Housing Project construction is ongoing with 250,000 housing units in 215 sites. The MPs highlighted that the housing and market projects across the counties will not only provide decent and affordable homes and markets for the local communities and traders, but will also create jobs for many youths and define the landscape of many towns in the long run.
‘Our visit is to ensure that these AHP and ESP projects are completed on time and to the highest standards,’ said Mugambi. Speaking to the press in Tana Delta Sub-county of Tana River, Mugambi commended contractors who are doing good work and urged others to speed up their pace. The Legislator emphasized the importance of meeting the deadlines for the project’s delivery and urged the contractors to deploy more resources to complete the projects on time.
Committee members raised concerns over delayed progress in the completion of works for AHP projects, warning that the government’s Affordable Housing agenda should not be undermined by poor project execution. Mugambi warned that contractors who fail to meet their obligations before the expected time are bound to face consequences for their inactions.
‘As a Parliamentary Committee, we will continue with our oversight visits around the country to monitor AHP and ESP projects closely, to ensure they are completed successfully,’ he said. He stated that unscrupulous contractors who engage in poor workmanship will be blacklisted and denied the opportunity to undertake further government projects in the future. ‘Our Committee will not allow public projects that consume a fortune to remain uncompleted to the detriment of the public,’ he said.
He further added that the Parliamentary Committee will not allow infrastructure projects to drag on indefinitely ‘because we must ensure value for money in government projects’. Mugambi noted that the construction of the Hola ESP market and Mapenzi, Vetlab and Minjila AHP projects under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) are progressing well. The AHP is a flagship initiative under BETA designed to address the national housing deficit estimated at 2 million units and enhance urban planning.
Mugambi mentioned that the Sh 119 million Hola ESP market is designed in the style of other ESP markets and will feature spacious stalls, proper drainage, reliable water supply and modern sanitation facilities, creating a clean, safe and vibrant trading environment for business people. The project is already generating jobs for masons, carpenters, suppliers and transporters, stimulating the local economy even before completion.
The market facility will open up new opportunities for small and medium enterprises, positioning the coastal town as a growing hub for trade and investment. Galole MP Said Hiribae, who hosted his colleagues in Hola town, the Administrative Headquarters of Tana River County, called on all stakeholders to work together to achieve the success of the public projects. He stated that contractors who do not adhere to the specifications in the Bills of Quantities (BQs) when implementing projects should not be paid and risk losing the opportunity to do business with the government.
The Committee members stated that the inspections are aimed at ensuring that key projects such as AHP under the current Administration are completed within the designated timelines to tackle the country’s housing deficit.
