Nakuru residents lose out as key projects stall, remain idle
Ongoing construction of the Sh600million Naivasha Wholesale market in Naivasha town.
Taxpayers in the county risk losing millions of shillings in abandoned projects and those that are complete but lie idle.
The more than Sh1 billion projects initiated by both the previous county and the national governments include the incomplete trauma centre at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital and several markets that remain idle.
“Most of the projects were initiated without properly consulting residents on their location and use. As a result, they lie idle and have turned into white elephants,”Mr Jesse Karanja, the chairman of the Peoples Power Watch lobby, told the Nation.
At the heart of Nakuru City, market stalls worth more than Sh8 million constructed in 2017/2018 remain idle and unused. Vandals have since stolen iron sheets that were used to construct the stalls.
Other markets that remain abandoned include the Free Area one started during the Kinuthia Mbugua administration.
“The new structure consisting of a perimeter wall that is incomplete, shades and stalls were completed by former Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s administration. However, there is no gate, latrine and piped water. We therefore do not use part of the market, it is also located at a place not frequented by customers,” said a trader.
Traders continue to avoid the Free Area fresh food market, choosing to operate on the roadside of the Nakuru-Nairobi highway.
The abandoned trauma centre project at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital was initiated on the orders of former President Mwai Kibaki after the 2009 Sachangwan tragedy that claimed 130 lives. The facility was to handle accident victims especially from the Nairobi-Eldoret highway.
However, it is yet to be completed 12 years later, despite millions of shillings being pumped into it. Records indicate that at the time it stalled, at least Sh70 million had been pumped into the project, which was under the former Ministry of Special Programmes. A two-storey structure amid tall grass is all there is to show.
An expansive parcel of land at Salgaa trading centre earmarked for the project remains abandoned after the decision was made to move the facility to the Level Five hospital.
Both the national and county governments have distanced themselves from the project. Last year, Mr Kinyanjui’s administration maintained that it was a national government project.
“The former Head of State had a good idea to establish a facility that would assist victims of road crashes, fire accidents and other patients access emergency care. However, new ministries created by former President Uhuru Kenyatta refused to inherit the project. Why should such a huge project be abandoned? “posed former Kabazi ward rep Dr Peter Mbae. He wants the national government to complete the project and hand it over to the county.
“The national government’s reason for not completing the implementation of the stalled project is that the functions under which the project falls were devolved. The national government has the responsibility to come out clean over the multi-billion project,” said Dr Mbae.
Other residents and local leaders have also demanded the completion of the project.
“We call upon urgent intervention of both the county and national government to ensure the crucial facility is completed,” said a resident, Dominic Njagi.
Early this week, Governor Susan Kihika revealed that she inherited multi-million projects from her predecessors.
“In Nakuru, months before l took over office, my predecessor Governor Lee Kinyanjui diverted Sh1.2 billion that was meant for development to recurrent expenditure. That means money that was meant for dams, water projects and revamping of various health facilities was used for paying salaries and for goods and services. So the projects are there but there is no money to complete them, “ said Ms Kihika. ”I will have to ensure the projects are completed before I start my own projects.”
