Started in October last year and the completion date supposed to be April 2021, Chengoni Bridge in Kilifi South was supposed to be a savior to the residents of Kaloleni and Mwaarakaya.
However, for now, there is only wood and a few pieces of timber laid across the river, and there is no activity ongoing four months to the completion date.
The bridge is supposed to cost Ksh55 million funded by the government through the Equalisation Fund.
On Monday, November 9, a team from the Special Funds Accounts Committee visited the site only to find a ghosted site, where only Ksh5.5 million has been spent on construction so far.
“The construction of this bridge started in October last year and the completion date is supposed to be April 2021. We are four months to the completion date and he (contractor) has done up to 24 percent,” said Committee chairman Murungi Kathuri.
When the team visited, the contractor was not on site, despite being informed of the visitation, indicating that there is no hope of even completing the work.
“There is no work going on at the site at the moment and the contractor is not even around despite sending him a communication that we will be visiting today,” added Kathuri.
According to a “site engineer” who was on-site, the contractor was attending “other duties”, and the company had applied for an extension of the construction period by two months.
“We have applied for an extension of the completion period with two months so by June the bridge will be complete,” he said.
Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Wairimu noted that the site had been abandoned and there was no promise that the contractor would complete the job even with an extended time.
“Grass has grown where you store your wheelbarrows, a clear demonstration that they are not being used. We have not seen even a single person working here. How can we tell this is an active site?” posed Wairimu.
Even as the rainy season approaches, the river could claim more lives and it might take another contractor to complete the project.
The Members who also paid a courtesy call on the Kilifi County Commissioner’s Office, Mr. Kutuswa Olaka, are on a fact-finding mission in the area to ascertain whether the projects were implemented effectively. The committee members are undertaking an inspection visit for various Equalization Funded projects within the county.
Among the Projects they have inspected include Baricho waterworks Lot 3, drilling and equipping of boreholes in Kilifi South constituency located in Shariani. The Committee also inspected the construction of the Chengoni bridge projected to be completed by April 2021 to allow residents of chengoni area to connect with the neighboring Mtwapa town.
Members present during the inspection visit was Hon. Kathuri Murungi, Chairperson, Special Funds Accounts Committee, Hon. Shakeel Shabbir, Hon. Erastus Kivasu, Hon. Dennitah Ghati and Hon. Faith Gitau. The Kilifi North Member of Parliament Hon. Owen Baya was also in attendance.
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