KISUMU, 7th June 2026 -The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure has issued a strong warning to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) against awarding multiple road contracts to a single contractor.
The committee is now warning that the practice is crippling project completion across the country.
During an inspection tour of the Sh15 billion Kisumu–Mamboleo–Miwani–Chemilil–Muhoroni road, Committee Vice Chairperson Didmus Barasa called for stricter oversight in contract allocation, noting that many firms are buckling under the financial weight of juggling several projects simultaneously amid delayed government disbursements.
“We can see some great progress on this road, however you need to be identifying good contractors with liquidity and capacity to do work. Government cash flow is slow. Once you give such contractors work of this magnitude, a fifteen billion project, don’t give them another work until they finish what they have,” Barasa said.
Samuel Arama a committee member echoed the concern, warning that overstretched contractors often trigger costly delays.
“Assigning many projects to one contractor will strain them, especially when they’re already struggling to raise funds while waiting for the exchequer to release allocations. This is an issue only KeNHA can fix, since you award and supervise these projects,” he said.
Despite the concerns, the committee lauded progress on the road, stating it will significantly boost trade and ease mobility across Kisumu, Nandi, and Kericho counties.
The Lawmakers also noted that the Mamboleo interchange, once completed, will decongest traffic for motorists heading to Vihiga, Kakamega, and Bungoma.
Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabbir lauded the committee for the inspection but raised alarm over earlier delays and safety risks at Guba Bridge along the stretch.
“For the last few weeks, we have seen steady progress. I just want to ask the ministry to fasten the release of funds to support this contractor,” Shabbir said.
KeNHA officials, led by a representative of the PS for Roads Eng. Henry Gakuru, disclosed that the project is being handled by three contractors, with works currently at 28 per cent completion. A revised schedule now targets January 2028, citing pending bills, slow funding, and weather challenges.
