TONGAREN BUNGOMA COUNTY. Governor Ken Lusaka of Bungoma County is a man under siege as his administration has failed to account for a project he promised residents would be done after he took over power over three-and-a-half years ago.
The latest project that the governor had launched and promised residents that it would take off immediately after the launch is the Misikhu-Brigadier road, that according to Lusaka’s government, should be undergoing tarmacking but so far nothing is taking place on the important road that connects Webuye East and Tongaren constituencies which are of great economic importance to the county of Bungoma.
After fanfare and show-off at the launch that gave the residents of the two constituencies hope that eventually, the transport challenges they have experienced for decades have now come to an end, it remains a mystery if at all the road shall be tarmacked or it remains a political gimmick.
Bearing in mind that the campaigns for the August 2017 general elections are taking shape and each and every politician, especially those holding positions now, are moving up and down to hold on any project that can give them political mileage ahead of the polls, residents of Tongaren constituency are worried that the tarmacking of the road might not be a reality under the Lusaka government.
Speaking to the Weekly Western Chronicle at Brigadier market, the residents recalled how the governor had assured them during the launch of the road that the tarmacking was to kick off immediately hence are now surprised that nothing is going on since the launch close to one month ago.
“The governor himself came here with his people and climbed on a caterpillar declaring that the tarmacking of the road was now starting but surprisingly as soon as he left, the machines that he had displayed and told us that they belong to the contractor who was awarded the tender also started leaving and now we are left here with just a few of the machines and nothing has started so gfar,” said one woman resident.
They said that they have not witnessed any exercise to indicate that the tarmacking of the road was going to take place any soon.
“The machines that we saw here including caterpillars, graders and others are no longer at the site and we are sure it was just a public relations exercise but the road is not going to be tarmacked as we can see now,” said Juma Kassim a resident of Mituwa.
Juma further claimed that the contractor who was paraded as the one who is awarded the tender of tarmacking the road is never known for doing tarmac roads but has been well known in the area by many for rehabilitating of earth roads or murram roads hence raised questions if the contractor had the capacity to deliver the 41-kilometer road to the residents.
Matatu drivers and boda boda riders showed their short-lived excitement and expectations of having a tarmac road to drive on and ride on a daily basis that could see their perennial transport challenges be history.
“We were very happy when the governor launched the road to be tarmacked because we really suffer driving on the road especially us in public transport but we are now wondering if it will be tarmacked because there is nothing taking place on the same road as far as tarmacking is concerned,” said a Matatu driver at Brigadier market.
Warned governor for playing politics
The bitter residents have now warned the governor not to play political tricks on them noting that the voters might use the same projects to send him home in next year’s elections to vote in another leader who can deliver his or her promises to the electorate.
“We have had such politicians in the past who used to take us for a ride promising development projects that they never implemented and we send them home hence governor Lusaka should not play politics on us when we are talking of serious projects that can turn around our economic ventures in this region,” said Juma.
He cited former ministers the late Elijah Wasike Mwangale and Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi among those who faced the wrath of the electorate after failing to deliver on their promises hence warned that if Lusaka does not deliver the tarmac road then he will follow suit and be send home by noon on August 8th 2017 during the elections day.
“If he does not deliver the tarmac road from Misikhu to Brigadier as he promised then he will be sent back to his home in Mapera village in Kamukuywa by noon on the elections day hence he should be prepared to eat lunch with his family at home as another leader is voted to be our next governor who can implement his promises especially on development,” added Kassim Juma.
“We are tired of the tricks being used by our leaders at the county government and we are ready to send them home and bring in new leaders who can keep their promises and deliver development to us,” said one woman trader at Brigadier.
No money set aside for the road
When the WWC sought to find out if the said road had any money allocated towards its tarmacking, the relevant leaders at the county assembly said that there was no money allocated to the road for tarmacking at the moment hence were also surprised to witness the governor launch the road and introduce a contractor when there was no money for the same.
Khalaba ward member of the county assembly Majimbo Okumu who is also a member of the budget committee at the county assembly said that there was no money allocated to the road in the current budget hence wondered from which kitty was the governor going to get the funds to implement the project.
“As a member of the budget committee I am really saddened by reports that our governor Ken Lusaka went to Brigadier to launch the road from Misikhu to Brigadier to be tarmacked yet what I know is that we have not allocated any money as a county assembly or budget committee towards that project,” said Majimbo.
He called upon the governor to explain to the residents of Bungoma county where the money for tarmacking of the road is coming from and when was the money ratified by the county assembly.
“I urge the governor and his officers to explain to the people of Bungoma where the money for tarmacking the road is going to come from because we know very well that there is no single cent at the moment set aside for the project because we should tell our people the truth about any project,” added Majimbo.
The MCA who is a former majority leader at the county assembly further claimed that it was against the public procurement and disposal act and public finance management act for a tender to be awarded to any contractor if at all there is no money allocated to such a project thus noted that the governor had gone against the law to launch the road and hand it over to the contractor.
“That was against the law and the public finance management act together with the public procurement and disposal act for a tender to be awarded if at all there is no money allocated to the project and that is abuse of office and a public relations move that the people of Bungoma can no longer condone,” added the MCA.
The road according to Majimbo and his Mbakalu counterpart Bethwel Mwambu is projected to cost over Kshs 1.1 billion whereby the county government was to contribute over Kshs 700 million while the national government was to contribute Kshs 500 million according to a statement made by deputy president William Ruto but the money has not been received yet.
Governor should come clear on other launched projects
Majimbo further called upon the governor to come clear and unveil to the people of Bungoma County the cost of other similar projects launched by his administration or the Jubilee government in the county noting that he (the governor) works closely with the Jubilee administration.
“I want to call upon the governor to come out clear on some of the projects launched by the Jubilee government in this county because he claims to be number three or the chairman of the Jubilee party to tell us the cost of the Musikoma-Mungore road, the tarmacking of Chwele-Lwakhakha road among many others by show of documents from the national budget that there is money allocated to such projects,” said Majimbo.
Majimbo further warned the governor and other elected leaders especially from the Jubilee coalition against using political tricks to woo voters on their side without any tangible projects pointing out that they will all be sent home during the elections in August next year.
Another MCA from Mbakalo ward Bethwel Mwambu who is also an ally of governor Lusaka in the Jubilee wing also called for answers on such projects launched by the governor and the Jubilee government in the county.
Mwambu who is the majority whip at the county assembly and a member of the roads committee acknowledged that he was among the team that accompanied the governor to launch the road at Brigadier and is also now surprised why the road has not started being tarmacked.
“As residents of Tongaren we were very happy when we witnessed the governor launch the tarmacking of the road yet up to now the process remains a mystery hence residents are asking us questions if at all the road will be indeed tarmacked,” said Mwambu.
He was also surprised that the many lorries and graders and other road construction machines that were paraded during the launch were no longer at the site and nothing was being done on the road hence also cautioned the governor and his aides to desist from using political tricks and public relations exercise to woo voters with no development projects being implemented.
“I now challenge the governor and his roads county executive committee member to tell the people of Bungoma if at all this road shall be tarmacked and we should stop tricking our people if at all we know such projects shall not be accomplished,” said Mwambu.
No response from county government officers
Our efforts to reach the county government officials in line with the tarmacking of the road did not bear any fruits after the CEC for roads Stephen Nendela and his chief officer Herbert Kibunguchy played hide and seek with us whenever we wanted to meet them for comment.
They kept on asking what we wanted to know but could not meet us until we sought for the governor’s comment on phone but he didn’t have much to comment but only said that those who are talking negatively about the project shall be ashamed in the long run when it is completed.