The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) is facing questions from the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy about major delays in the Likoni Bridge project in Nairobi County.
A report from the Auditor General reveals that this bridge, which was supposed to be completed in a year, is still unfinished four years past its deadline.
This project is part of a larger effort to upgrade the Nairobi Lot 2 area, including sections of Shreeji and Enterprise Roads, with a budget of Ksh892.6 million. Yet, only 86% of the work is done, and a Performance-Based Contract (PBC) for maintenance, costing Ksh13,250,790, is also pending.
During a site visit, David Pkosing, the committee’s chairperson, stressed the importance of government projects sticking to their timelines and delivering value to the public. “Every government project should be completed within the required timeline and be useful to the people of Kenya,” Pkosing pointed out.
Eng Silas Kinoti, Director General of KURA, defended the current progress, stating that most major tasks are finished, with only a 0.18 km overlay remaining. He mentioned that adjustments were necessary due to new requirements from the Kenya Railways Corporation, which affected the project’s scope.
Lawmakers are urging KURA and the Kenya Railways Corporation to work together on funding the bridge expansion, which wasn’t included in the original budget. The committee has set a deadline for completion by June 2025, considering the railway corporation’s need to raise the bridge height to 7.1 meters.
These infrastructure projects, initiated during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, aim to ease traffic congestion in Nairobi’s Industrial Area.
