A new water pipeline needed to serve Konza Technopolis

Embu,

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

KNA by Steve Gatheru

A new pipeline needs to be laid alongside the 34-year-old Nol Turesh water pipeline if the project is to serve the Konza Technopolis that is under development.

A sitting of the Eastern Regional Development Implementation Co-ordination Committee (RDICC) was told that the old pipeline that was to serve residents of Machakos and Kajiado Counties for 26 years from the time of commissioning in 1989 suffered massive infrastructure decay and vandalism such that it was incapable of serving the new city.

The Eastern Regional Director of the Development Co-ordination Unit Mr Shalle Mahat reported that new springs needed to be explored to augment the Nol Turesh ones on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro to boost the amount of water supplied.

He also reported that it has been recommended that the Nol Turesh Water and Sanitation Company be converted into a bulk water supplier for greater efficiency.

During the meeting Chaired by Eastern Regional Commissioner Paul Rotich at the University of Embu on Monday, it was reported that most of the projects that were ongoing in 2022 had stalled for lack of funding.

Among the stalled projects was the University of Embu Tuition block being implemented by the State Department for Higher Education that was to be completed for Sh899 million but stalled when at 86 percent complete.

The committee recommended that the department clear an outstanding Sh34 million bill and allocate funds for the remaining works.

Three other of the Department's projects at Tharaka University had stalled at various stages. A tuition block, a library, and an administration block were being constructed at Sh500 million each.

It was also disclosed that the Kenya Forest Service was holding back the implementation of the Liutu Bridge in Mikinduri being implemented by the Kenya Rural Roads. 

Authority despite being paid the value of damaged forest produce.

The committee was told that after the payment was made, KFS still arrested the contractor and confiscated some of his equipment. The bridge which is at 36 percent completion was commissioned by President Dr. William Ruto in 2018 when he was Deputy President and should have been completed in 2022 for Sh99.9 million.

Another project that has stalled is the automotive engineering workshop at Garbatulla Technical Training Institute. The project stopped at 70 percent completion.

The committee was also told that a contractor hired to build a bridge at the killer River Enziu drift had dragged his feet over the project despite being paid most of what was due for the project. The committee was told that KIU Construction Company had only done half of the work that should have ended in October but is now going to be delayed even further with the current rains.

Courtesy; KNA