• The project was started in March 2015 and was expect to take 36 months.
• Any suspension would attract an additional cost
The construction of Muruny-Siyoi Dam in West Pokot could be delayed further after the contractor suspended works citing payment delays.
The project started in March 2015 and was expected to be completed by March last year after 36 months.
Senior resident engineer overseeing the works Gideon Onyuka on Sunday said no work has been going on since the beginning of April.
He spoke when the County Development Implementation Coordination Committee visited the site at Kabichbich.
Onyuka said it was the third time the contractor had suspended the work, saying he has not been paid since March last year. He warned the government risk paying more for the project because of delays.
He said the contractor has been paid Sh2.7 billion with the work 68 per cent complete. The contractor wants Sh660 million, a payment he says has not been honoured.
"So far about 68% of the work is done and the contractor is requesting to be paid Sh660 million for work to resume," Onyuka said.
He suspension of work will attract additional costs.
"Any suspension by the contractor due to the delay of payment by the client would attract an additional cost even if there is no work going on and it ranges between Sh1.2 million to Sh1.3 million per day," Onyuka said.
The project was estimated to cost Sh9 billion. Some Sh5.2 was for the construction of the dam under Lot 1 and the rest for the treatment plant and piping under Lot 2.
Onyuka said payment delays would be costly.
The project intends to benefit more than 236,000 residents who will get clean and safe water.
Another engineer, William Kenyatta, said the work was progressing slowly because the contractors had only been paid Sh2.5 billion yet the work done was more than Sh2.9 billion.
He said rains could cause further delays.
Robert Mutai, an assistant resident engineer for the Kamatira-Cheptogei road said the government had spent Sh2.7 billion on the 77.9km project.
Mutai said the work was 93 per cent complete. He said the project had already been handed over to the government.
The CDICC team was led by county commissioner Apollo Okello. They promised to urge the Treasury to pay for the projects.
Edited by P. Obuya