Machakos Speaker Florence Mwangangi has demanded answers from the Transport, Roads and Public Works CECM Naomi Mutie and chief officer Justus Kasivu over what she described as shoddy works in Machakos roads.
The two were appearing before the General oversight committee of Machakos county Assembly to answer various queries raised by members from different wards.
Speaking about the Kithini-Vota road, the chief officer Justus Kasivu said the county was doing the civil works and a contractor would be coming in to do the tarmac.
This model received wide criticism from members led by Deputy Speaker Paul Museku and Majority Leader Mark Muendo who asked queries on transparency and quality control noting that it will be hard to hold anyone liable as the work will be done by several people.
The chief officer Justus Kasivu claimed that they had done a cost-benefit analysis and found out they will save if they do civil works in-house rather than giving a contractor as they have engineers and the equipment.
“This model has been used before in the county and it worked perfectly. We have done this in Makutano Kithimani road, Kathiani-Kangundo road.” Chief officer Kasivu said.
The speaker interjected noting that she had used the Makutano-Kithimani road the previous day and it was full of potholes.
“I am not an engineer but I see what is happening, I use the Devki -Joska road, the Chinese doing the road there are very serious. The excavations are very deep. I pass through there every day. Then they put the rocks and compact seriously in layers.” Speaker Mwangangi said.
“That way when they do it right, you will find when they lay the tarmac there won’t be potholes. The permanence of what is on top is determined by what is beneath. Even the Muthetheni road I passed there, it’s so shoddy. We need to call a spade a spade. It’s giving the house a very bad name and ours is just to approve the budgets.” The speaker went on.
During the grilling session, it emerged Makutano-Kithimani road had been allocated 40 million for maintenance. During its construction that cost taxpayers about 650million, Machakos Governor boasted that he did it at a third of the cost proposed by KENHA 1.6 billion. Machakos residents may end up paying more for the road which has been controversial since its construction as a maintenance and repair team is on-site every year.
