Members of Parliament have directed the government to terminate and blacklist contractors responsible for delaying the implementation of a multi-billion-shilling water and sanitation programme spanning dozens of towns across the country.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The directive was issued on Tuesday, June 10, by the National Assembly's Departmental Committee on Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation, during a meeting with Principal Secretary for Water and Sanitation Julius Korir to assess the progress of projects under the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Programme.

Lawmakers expressed concern over persistent delays in the implementation of several projects, accusing some contractors of failing to deliver despite being awarded multiple contracts.

The programme, jointly funded by the Government of Kenya and the African Development Bank, covers 58 towns and comprises 61 water and sanitation projects valued at Ksh45.5 billion.

📌 What You Need to Know

According to the State Department for Water and Sanitation, the programme is expected to create approximately 15,000 jobs during and after construction while improving access to clean water and sanitation services.

Committee Chairperson David Bowen Kangogo said Parliament would not tolerate continued delays that deny Kenyans access to essential services despite significant public investment.

Members raised concerns over non-performing contractors, governance challenges among some water service providers, court disputes, and escalating construction costs, which they said have slowed project implementation.

The committee heard that out of the 61 projects under the programme, 12 have already been completed and commissioned, while 26 have been completed and are awaiting commissioning.

A further 22 projects are currently under construction, while one project remains stalled due to ongoing litigation .

Responding to concerns raised by MPs, PS Korir revealed that the government had already terminated some contractors in areas including Mandera and Meru after they failed to demonstrate the capacity needed to complete the projects.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke