Senate roads committee invites kenya national highway authority to respond to the statements sought by legislators

Senate roads committee invites Kenya National Highway Authority to respond to the statements sought by legislators

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟑𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

Director General of the Kenya National Highway Authority (KNHA) Eng. Kungu Ndung’u has today appeared before the Senate Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing Chaired by Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa, to respond to Statements sought by Senator Samson Cherarkey regarding the construction of six interchangers on the Nairobi’s Western Bypass.

Eng. Kungu informed the Committee that the Nairobi Western Bypass was undertaken under Engineering Procurement Contracting (EPC) Contract. The Contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation (K), was contracted in October 2017 by the Government of Kenya through the implementing agency Kenya National Highways Authority, to carry out design and construction of the Nairobi Western Bypass on the basis of the Employer'as requirements as stated in the contract.

He said the project road is in Kiambu County and consists of the Nairobi Western Bypass Road which is one of the major trunk road links in the Nairobi Road Network Master Plan. It starts from Gitaru Interchange and follows the Gitaru Road towards the northeast and finally turns to the southeast near Ndenderu Town (Limuru Road) before ending at Ruaka Town.

Further, Eng. Kungu said that the original project scope entailed construction of six interchanges at Lower Kabete, Wangige, Kihara, Ndenderu, Rumenye and Ruaka and the number of interchanges was later appraised to 4 (Lower Kabete, Wangige, Kihara and Rumenye) with at-grade intersection provided at Ndenderu while Ruaka Interchange was rescoped.

Clarifying on the rationale behind disbursing the payment of Ksh. 21.5 Billion to the contractor despite their failure to complete the interchanges as initially intended, KNHA Director General informed the Committee that the contract was awarded to China Road and Bridge Corporation (K) in October 2017 at a total cost of US$. 170,998,693.24 and at the time of completion, the Contractor had received payments amounting to the US$. 170,998,693.24 as agreed under the EPC Contract. 

Mr Ndung’u also appraised the Committee on the progress made in securing budgetary allocation for the compensation of the affected persons in the Mombasa Gate Bridge (MGB) Project. He said that in 2019, JICA entered into an agreement to loan the Government of Kenya JPY 120B which will cover 100% of the eligible cost (this cost is inclusive of both construction costs, consulting services and price escalation and physical contingencies for works and consulting services) towards construction of the Mombasa Gate Bridge (MGB).

Lawmakers resolved to invite National Land Commission (NLC) to shed light on the Compensation of all affected persons by the Roads Construction.