How conflicts between State officers are delaying road projects in Kenya

Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau, who was the Permanent Secretary at the Roads ministry then, revealed recently why work on the road was yet to take off: “It is because of silo mentality,” he told a transport sector stakeholders consultative meeting.

Silo mentality is where groups or departments in the same organisation compete against each other, often getting in each others’ way.

DESIGN CHANGE

“Ministries within government tend to compete and block each other,” said Mr Kamau.

The problem, from what the minister said, arose between those charged with designing the road.

The road was initially designed to have a three-metre space in the middle known as a median for the installation of a railway. This later changed as new designers created a double lane of 3.5 metres on each side. The median was reduced to two metres as a special lane for high-capacity buses.

There is still no agreement on the final design, completion date is obviously not predictable now.

Mr Kamau said when he visited Japan recently, all five ministers he met were asking the same question: “What is wrong with Kenya? You can’t design? You can’t finish a design?”

This is not the first time conflicts between civil servants have led to inordinate delays of major projects.

Expansion of Lang’ata Road has stopped at the Bomas of Kenya junction due to misunderstandings between the Transport Ministry and the National Land Commission (NLC). Mr Kamau told the Transport, Public Works and Housing Committee that the problem began long before the NLC was established.

OWNERS PAID

Owners of the buildings near Galleria Mall that stood in the way were to be paid a total of Sh1.2 billion. However, only Sh267 million was released. The money was to pay owners of three pieces of land that were to be taken by the road. But the NLC demanded that the full amount be set aside before anybody could be paid.

“After discussions and even appearing before the Lands Committee, they still held the same position. Instead of paying those three people, they started questioning the criteria we used,” Mr Kamau told the committee last December.

Yesterday, NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri confirmed to the Nation that there was a misunderstanding between his commission and the Ministry of Transport over the compensation.

He said the process could not go on until the full amount is given to the commission to pay up all those who will be affected by the demolitions.

“What the Cabinet Secretary says is true and they promised to release the funds. However, we are yet to receive the remaining amount,” said Dr Swazuri.

“Our position as a commission still stands. Once we have the money, we will definitely do our part and compensate everyone affected,” he added.

The money that was released was shared between the landowners who later vacated the houses. However, the ministry was told it could not move onto the land until the entire amount is paid.

Dr Swazuri summed up the matter as “a study case of how people should not work”.

Due to the delay, the contractor left the site and the ministry will pay for the cost of remobilising and interests. The ministry will also pay house owners for loss of income in rent.

The matter had been taken to the National Assembly by Nyeri Town MP Esther Murugi, who said owners of the house were unhappy with the delay. 

— Additional reporting by Mazera Ndurya