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{
    "id": 971428,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/971428/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 173,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wamatangi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 646,
        "legal_name": "Paul Kimani Wamatangi",
        "slug": "paul-kimani-wamatangi"
    },
    "content": "been affected by blasting when the contractors are extracting materials to make the road. They blow dynamite a few metres from somebody’s home, and the house cracks. They promised them compensation. However, besides not paying them, there is a collusion to con members of the public. You will find that somebody has constructed a brick house. We noted an attitude whereby the valuers of the land and property seem to think that those houses are not worth being valued at a decent value. For example, someone is asked to accept the compensation of Kshs500 for a house that has cracked and is no longer habitable. A person who calculates that is the culprit, and it is a must take. As the Chairperson of that Committee, the position of the Committee is that what was going on in Kitui County as far as compensation of members of the public is concerned is not acceptable. The other issue that arose, and has been of serious concern, is the cost of doing the construction of that road. This Committee was given a report that, that contract was signed at a value of Kshs18 billion. Upon scrutiny, this Committee noted that the value of the contract was not Kshs18 billion. Upon further perusal, the contractor informed this Committee that to make up for the difference of what the contract was given at and what they had done, that contractor was willing an extra 50 kilometres of tarmac free of charge. That is probably one of the most bizarre statements that anyone could hear, especially somebody with knowledge in road construction. Right now, there are roads in this Republic - and this has been in the public domain - where contractors, especially Chinese contractors, are charging the Republic of Kenya about Kshs1 billion for the construction one kilometre of a road. You get amazed that a contractor would have the audacity to tell the Committee that they are willing to do an extra 50 kilometres for free. If, indeed, the cost of construction that they are giving the Government is true, and they are willing to do an extra 50 kilometres for free, that would inform any rational mind what kind of mess lies behind that kind of disclosure. Madam Temporary Speaker, as recent as three or four weeks ago, there have been riots and demonstrations in Kitui County. That road was being constructed right from Mombasa Road, at Kibwezi, then to cut the entire Kitui County and access the main Garissa Road. Just about 17 kilometres to where the road is supposed to terminate, the contractor said that they would not build anymore. They started folding up and saying that they were going back to Nairobi to look for another job. I am sure that the Senator for Kitui would be able to tell that story more at his own time. This House, and especially our Committee as we have undertaken, needs to open up this Pandora’s Box and ensure that Kenyans get to the bottom of what is happening with these contractors. It is no longer a story that can be sat on; there is too much around it. Madam Temporary Speaker, just to give a quick example, the other day when this Committee was still undertaking another inspection, during the same time, there was a contract that had been given at a cost for Kshs18 billion, with compensation to Kenyans"
}