Projects Stalled With MPs’ Exit

George Sayagie And James Kariuki

26 June 2011

Nairobi — Several Constituency Development Fund projects in Molo and Kuresoi constituencies have stalled mainly due to lack of coordination between sitting MPs and their predecessors.

In Molo constituency, some projects started by former MP Macharia Mukiri, who lost to Mr Joseph Kiuna in the 2007 General Election, have been abandoned.

One of them is Njoro Health Centre, which requires more than Sh2 million to complete.

According to former MP’s personal assistant Daniel Kiragu, they had spent Sh360,000 to start the project by the time Mr Mukiri lost the elections.

It is the same case with Kihingo Maternity Ward and Njoro Day Secondary School, which are in the same constituency. The projects were abandoned after the 2007 elections.

Mr Kiragu said the CDF committee that was in office before the polls had allocated enough money to build six classrooms, a laboratory and a library for the school.

The current CDF manager, Mr Bernard Mbugua, said some of the stalled projects were dropped for lack of merit or were not given priority by the existing locational committees.

In Kuresoi constituency, a number of projects started before 2007 when Mr Sammy Cheboi was MP have also become white elephants.

Mr Cheboi lost the election to Mr Zakayo Cheruiyot.

One of them, Kamara Youth Polytechnic stalled after Sh500,000 worth of building materials were bought.

Project abandoned

The materials are now going to waste after the project was abandoned by the new CDF committee.

There is also Tembwa Primary School and Baragret Secondary School, which were allocated money for new classrooms but the projects did not take off.

In the same period Sinindet Water Project was allocated Sh800,000 and a water pump donated by the Ministry of Water to rehabilitate a borehole but the plan has stalled.

A dispute between project committee members at the location level led to delay in completing Chepkinoyio Road that is said to have been allocated Sh375,000.

There were claims of misappropriation of funds, which forced the community to demand election of new officials.

In Ol Kalau constituency, only Sh750,000 was remaining to complete Sh6.5 million Chamuka Dispensary in Ol Jororok. It has now stalled.

The project is the subject of a legal battle between MP Erastus Mureithi and the project committee.

The case has lasted for more than one year.

Painful nights

Mr Mureithi’s predecessor, Mr Muriuki Karue, started the project.

And due to lack of a functioning hospital in Ol Jororok, many investors have been shifting to other shopping centres like Kasuku and Ngano.

A police officer lamented that injured suspects and victims of criminal attacks often spent painful nights at the station awaiting daybreak for them to be ferried by matatu and police van to Nyahururu town for treatment.

Though Mr Mureithi had been ordered by a lower court to provide funds for its completion to purge a contempt order, he got a reprieve after High Court judge Mathew Emukule quashed the order, saying it was unconstitutional.

Upon his election, Mr Mureithi replaced a committee overseeing the building of Sh8 million Gatimu dispensary over misuse of funds.

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