RAISING COST OF BUILDING ROADS HIT KENYA

Government unhappy with contractor’s as they are ignoring the State’s annuity programme for road construction.

Resident and contractor are enquiring over the high rate of building roads. This is as a result of the breach in the road limit which was set up by the government. This news will definitely affect the contractor as they are in charge of constructing road projects.

Infrastructure and Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia had warn in 2016 that Building firm that quote bid which are high will have to reduce it. He said that quote such as Sh300 million per kilometre will has to be price between Sh90- Sh100 million. He said it is under the State’s annuity programme.

Last year, the government achieve the set limit  which will see high tarmac road cost about Sh80 million down from Sh140 million. Meanwhile, for rural road it will costs about Sh35 million down from Sh70 million.

According to reports, ongoing road projects across the country shows that majority of the crucial infrastructural projects has breach the limit. This has also raise concerns on why the costs have shot up, and whether the taxpayers can afford it.

Taxpayer are the one suffering from all this injustice because the money is coming from them. Meanwhile according to Economic Survey 2018, 30 roads with a cumulative length of 1,547.6 kilometres. This projects were under construction at a total cost of Sh103.2 billion just in 2017.

According to Macharia , the Ministry is striving to ensure contractors are honouring the programme. He also said that some road design has lead to the high costs for some key roads.

KPMG’s Head of Infrastructure Hub for East Africa James Woodward said PPP model of building new roads is costlier than the EPC model from the kenyans.

 

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