Poor workmanship and deviation from using what was specified in the bill of quantities has led to taxpayers losing shs 98 million on the stalled Ndwaru road n Dagoreti South, Nairobi.
While appearing before the Nairobi County Public Accounts Committee last week, the director of Jelink Construction Limited Lina Nduta which constructed the road was unable to explain why they used the 2 No 600 mm pipes instead of the 900 mm pipe for culverts as indicated in the bill of quantities.
During a visit to the site, the reps said some Culverts leading to access roads were also left out, electric poles were on the drainage and that the drainage was poorly done.
The Committee said the county lost money as a result of this variation.
Lina Nduta was also unable to answer questions from the committee and was assisted by Resident Engineer Michael Nderitu.
The Committee chairperson Wilfred Odalo questioned Nderitu’s interests in the company yet he is a County Employee.
Several reps asked Governor Anne Kananu and the CEC Roads to sack him so that “he goes and serves private interests”
The total cost of constructing the road was shs 98,811,394.92.
According to the Audit report of the Nairobi City County Executive for the financial year 2018-2019, several projects with a combined contract sum of Kshs.1,893,756,957 have stalled or delayed.
Ndwaru road is one of them.
The audit said Roads Transport and Public Works stalled and delayed projects totals to sh 471,389,643, Bridges shs 96,669,532, delayed Roads and Bridges Projects shs 1,035,207,948, delayed Ward Development Projects (Roads and Drainage) shs 238,699,198 and delayed WDF Electrical Projects 51,790,636.
The total cost of delayed and stalled projects is shs 1,893,756,957.
The Audit said City Hall has not achieved the intended objectives and value for money in these projects in accordance with Section 149(2)(m) of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012.
“In the circumstances, it has not been possible to confirm that the public has obtained value for money,” the Audit read.
According to City Hall, Ndwaru road was projected to have been completed by 16th October 2019.
City Hall said delays were occasioned by delays in payment as was the case in the past.
The reps said the road is not complete.
But Lina Nduta and the resident Engineer Michael Nderitu insisted that the road is “substantially complete,”
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