The government has moved to speed up works on the Ksh200 billion Rironi highway project by deploying additional construction teams following public concerns over delays in the project’s progress.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

This was confirmed by the Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo, who, alongside PPP Committee members, conducted a physical site inspection on Tuesday, walking the A8 and A8 South corridors to personally assess the state of ongoing works.

"This morning, together with my colleagues on the PPP Committee, we inspected the ongoing project works along the corridor," Korir stated.  "The contractor has mobilised additional teams to accelerate works, with excavation, spoil material hauling and fill layer processing already progressing well and expected to be completed by June next year,” stated PS Korir.

The additional teams are expected to bring a visible shift in the pace of work, especially in sections where progress had visibly slowed, offering commuters and traders along the route renewed hope.

📌 What You Need to Know

Currently, the construction is projected to generate over 15,000 direct and indirect jobs as construction scales up full-time.

At the beginning of this month, the public began to express frustration over the slow progress of the project, which the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure acknowledged.

In its defence, the ministry explained that early-stage works are deliberately focused on foundational structures before any asphalt is laid, noting that this is standard in large-scale highway construction projects, which takes time and more labor force since it has to be done carefully and with precision.

According to the ministry, this implies that they are prioritising subgrade formation, soil stabilisation, drainage systems, and structural works such as culverts and bridges to ensure long-term durability of the project.

This comes against the backdrop of the China Roads and Bridge Company (CRBC), the Chinese company contracted by the government,  opening applications for hundreds of positions for the multibillion-shilling project on May 18, ranging in different categories to speed up the construction process.

At the onset, President William Ruto has set June 1, next year, as the final deadline for the 175-kilometre road dualling project.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke