Nairobi county
has distanced itself from the poor state of Kasarani-Mwiki road, over which there were protests on Thursday.
Governor Mike Sonko said on Friday that the road is under the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura), not the county.
“It is unfortunate that Kura awarded the tender to a lazy and incompetent contractor, who deserted the project claiming he could not proceed due to heavy rains,” he said.
Sonko noted the
county has the capacity to repair feeder roads of up to four kilometres
while other agencies are assigned those that are longer than this.
But he said his administration was working with Kura, KeNHA and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA)
to ensure the road is repaired.
The Transport ministry assigned the work to an international contractor who has embarked on the project, he said.
The protesters complained that the "cowboy contractor" had only taken stones to the area in a month.
Residents are forced to walk more than three kilometres or use boda bodas which charge Sh150 to Sh200, up from the usual Sh50.
Sonko reported that contractors were paid Sh577 million for roads constructed and rehabilitated by the devolved unit.
They include
New Donholm, Maji Mazuri (Kasarani), Kirichwa, Upendo, Dandora Phase II, Falcon, Mama Wahu (Dagoreti), Haco, Limuru, Salim (Dagoreti) and the Ngara Estate pathway.
City Hall is in the process of awarding tenders for 31 more roads while county engineers will re-carpet 28 roads using their own machinery.