- He said they have revised the pending bills and currently stand at Sh800 billion down from Sh910 billion.
- The CS also reiterated the ministry’s commitment to complete all stalled road projects rationally.
Image: HANDOUT
The government is working round the clock to resolve the issue of pending bills affecting road contractors without taking loans, Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen has said.
Borrowing to clear bills, he said, would overburden the taxpayers more at a time the country is grappling with huge debts from the previous administration.
He said they have revised the pending bills and currently stand at Sh800 billion down from Sh910 billion.
“We are aware of the difficulties that contractors are facing due to the pending bills that have accumulated for over two years but we are currently working on a formula that would allow for gradual settlement of the bills, based on the amounts we receive from Treasury,” the CS said.
“We are in a hole, and when one is in a hole, they need to stop digging. That is what we are doing.”
Speaking during the handing over of chairmanship of the Kenya Roads Board to former Wajir West MP Ahmed Kolosh, the CS also reiterated the ministry’s commitment to complete all stalled road projects rationally.
Kolosh now becomes the seventh chair of the Board of KRB taking over from Phyllis Wakiaga who was appointed to the position in September 2022.
The meeting was attended by among others Roads Principal Secretary Joseph Mbugua and KRB MD Rashid Mohamed.
Murkomen further called on the board to work with the KRB management to ensure road construction work meets the standards as set out in the Roads Act.
“There have been complaints that some roads are of poor standards. It is important for this board to work with other agencies and institutions that construct roads including county governments and to ensure our road standards comply with what is encapsulated in the Roads Act,” the CS said.
The board, he warned, should avoid overstepping their mandate saying there should be a fine line between their role and the role of management.
“For there to be efficiency in the running of KRB, each entity should execute their roles expeditiously without interference from the other. The Board has its mandate well cut out for them, and so does the management. While closer working relations between the two bodies is paramount, there should be a clear distinction of roles,” he said.
He assured the board of his and the Ministry’s support in the execution of their roles and the journey to the realisation of Kenya Kwanza road infrastructure agenda.