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{
    "id": 1553003,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553003/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 332,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Davis Chirchir",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Kipsing-Oldonyiro bridge has a budget funded under RDLF. Hon, Members, we are fairly in a good place today given the fact that you allowed us to securitize the Kshs7 billion. Any road project which on account of non-payment is being stranded or suspended for that matter, we are getting back the contractors to work. We did not raise money for particular roads for particular regions, but for all the pending roads in Kenya. We are paying for all of them and getting the contractors back to work through a supplemental settlement agreement that stipulates how we will get back to work and pay them subsequently. That includes bargaining and negotiating for write- down of 35 per cent of the interest that they had levied on the principal. So, we are in a good place. We will need to chart the way forward together to ensure that budgetary allocation is adequate. If it is not adequate, then it is commensurate to the work that we hope to complete. We hope the work certificates will be issued during the period, so that we do not slow down and ensure that we get our road sector working again. Like I said, we already have Kshs63 billion. We need Kshs175 billion. It is not only in Government books because we are doing off-balance sheet. We basically sold Kshs7 billion to a special purpose vehicle partner who has looked at the historical performance of the road maintenance levy. They are paying us Kshs175 billion and spending time to collect the money without recourse to the National Treasury. This and next week, we should be able to pay all the contractors the initial 40 per cent on account The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}