Finish up all your projects before next polls, Malala tells Oparanya

Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala wants Governor Wycliffe Oparanya to complete all major projects started by his administration before he leaves office next year.

Malala said none of the flagship projects begun by Oparanya in the past nine years has been completed to benefit residents.

The projects include the Sh6.2 billion Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital, Malava milk processing plant, Bukhungu Stadium upgrade, construction of Shinyalu tea factory and level 4 hospitals in Mumias West, Ikolomani and Shinyalu.

Malala said he will ensure no new project is started before conclusion of the already running projects.  The referral hospital contractor left the site in February.

The stadium contractor has also stopped works citing non-payment, while the milk processing plant stalled months ago. The Shamakhubu, Shibwe and Mumias West level 4 hospitals have yet to be completed, while the Shinyalu tea factory never took off, apart from purchase of land.

“I am asking Oparanya and MCAs to ensure that money for completion of the flagship projects is factored in their final budget they are making now,” the senator said.

While addressing the County Executive Committee in Kisumu last week, Oparanya said he will ensure all the projects he began are completed before he leaves office.

Chief officer for finance James Ochami said the county had made some payments to the Chinese contractor at the hospital. “We have paid the contractor and we shall have him back on board soon,” Ochani said.

Ochami said the county was in the process of paying the stadium contractor so that he can resume work.

Health Services executive Collins Matemba blamed the National Treasury's erratic disbursement of funds to counties for the delayed hospital projects.

“You are aware of the delays by the National Treasury in disbursement of funds to the counties. How does one budget when the local revenue streams have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic?” he said.