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{
"id": 971469,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/971469/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
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"speaker": {
"id": 210,
"legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
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"content": "meters. The company called H Young that did the road from Webuye to Malaba has built a dual carriage bridge on the River Lwakhakha that passes and forms the international border between Kenya and Uganda. The bridge is opened, but totally under-utilized because the road connection that will open up a seamless flow of traffic cannot be concluded. We were informed by the consultant to the contractor and the project that the difference between finishing that road to open up traffic and generate more revenue for this country is just Kshs58 million, which the Government of Kenya cannot and would not pay the contractor. In fact, they have removed him from the site. When the Committee visited, they were told that the Government will retender. How insensitive and lack of foresight can we be? The contractor had done a job of Kss496 million and was dismissed for no reason because there was no allegation of impropriety or incompetence on his part. It was just nonpayment. They dismissed him from the site because he was menacing for payment. The Ministry wants to retender the 40 meters and bring in a new contractor, where they will go through the process of expression of interest, tender, evaluation, award and wait for any challenge to the awarded contractor before the contractor moves on site. By the time we do that, you can imagine how much revenue the country will have lost, how much inconvenience we will have caused our neighbours who are dependent on us and how much we will have embarrassed everybody who uses the Port of Mombasa and the central corridor to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, South Sudan and beyond. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Committee recommended, even on the spot, that the Ministry should recall this contractor. The Senate Committee was ready to stand and explain, in the event of any queries, that they directed that this contractor be called to complete the 40 metres of the road. These 40 metres are critical because they pass through a gulley where the contractor had already put double culverts, ready to backfill and then tarmac the road. So, no truck can pass through those double culverts because of the gullies that are there. Instead, from the time the Committee visited the site, we are witnessing even longer queues. In a proper functioning situation, one would have even expected, like Sen. Wambua for Kitui said, that if the Government is unable to handle its contractors, it should have sent the Army or the National Youth Service (NYS), which are Government agencies with huge budgets, to go and finish that link or loop to enable the road work. Nothing has been done. The Government could also hand over the 40 metres to the County Government of Busia. Gov. Ojaamong told me that he is ready to put some money into that project to open up the road, so that it can also generate revenue. It cannot be done because it is division of labour, duties, responsibilities and functions. This is a national Government function; remain where you are with your county devolved functions. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the importance of this issue is not that they have not done the 40 metres of the road, but because of laxity on the part of our country, we are losing heavily to our neighbours. Right now, Tanzania has offered the Port of Tanga to"
}