After more than two years, construction of the 8km stretch between Kisumu Boys and Mamboleo junction, which forms part of the A1 trunk road, has resumed under a new contractor.
China Railway No.10 Engineering Group took over from Israel contractor SBI International Holdings AG (Kenya) who reportedly withdrew over payment delays. The work is expected to be complete by November 2021.
Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Nyanza regional director Cleophas Makau said the new contractor is on course to completing “the vital section” of the Kisumu- Kakamega highway.
“We procured a new contractor and he started working on November 29 last year,” he said, adding that the contract duration is 12 months.
Mr Makau said the dual carriageway project — that will cost about Sh1 billion and which had been stopped in December 2018 — will enhance convenience for commuters to the lakeside city. The programme which was being jointly financed by the World Bank and the national government at a cost of Sh2.6 billion flopped after donor funding was exhausted before the completion of the project.
“Due to budget constraints, the government could not proceed with the project and had to look for alternative ways of financing the mega project,” said the regional KeNHA boss on the sidelines of the World Engineering Day marked in Kisumu.
The stalled section had inconvenienced multiple businesses along the stretch and had become a nightmare to motorists. – CKS writer and BD
