Transport CS Davis Chirchir and his National Treasury counterpart John Mbadi are shown a roadmap of the Mbita-Sindo-Magunga-Sori road in Suba South constituency/ROBERT OMOLLO

The government will terminate contracts of companies whose owners fail to deliver road construction projects on time, Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has said.

He said the government will not tolerate contractors who drag their feet after being awarded contracts.

Chirchir noted that the government does not hesitate to cancel contracts and re-award them to firms that are capable of delivering the work.

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The CS said his ministry has decided to clear all pending bills, adding that no contractor should have any excuse for failing to complete works.

“There is no excuse for any contractor not to perform. We are paying them for the work done, and they should not slow down,” Chirchir said.

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Speaking at Sindo Market in Suba South during an inspection of the Mbita–Sindo–Magunga–Sori road, Chirchir said the government has invested heavily in infrastructure development.

CSs John Mbadi and Davis Chirchir on a tractor during inspection of Mbita -Sindo-Magunga-Sori road in Sindo market in Suba South/ROBERT OMOLLO
He was accompanied by National Treasury CS John Mbadi, Roads Principal Secretary Joseph Mbugua, and engineer Bernard Odhuno.

Chirchir said firms that show signs of inability to deliver road construction projects on time will have their tenders terminated.

Construction of the 74-kilometre Mbita–Sindo–Magunga–Sori road began more than 10 years ago but is yet to be completed.

Multiple companies have worked on the project since it started, with some withdrawing for reasons that remain unclear.

Work at the site only picked up after President William Ruto took office and relaunched the project in October 2023.

Chirchir revealed that the government previously faced challenges with pending bills, which caused many projects to stall.

Some companies opted to abandon sites, leaving projects halfway done after failing to receive payment.

However, the CS said the issue of pending bills has since been addressed, and all ongoing works should proceed without interruption.

“We had pending bills amounting to Sh175 billion that had piled up over more than 10 years. Work would be done, contractors would not be paid, and some would abandon construction,” he said.

The leaders also visited Otati, at the border of Migori and Homa Bay counties, where they were joined by Migori Governor Ochillo Ayacko, Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, Awendo MP Walter Owino and Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang.

Mbadi said the two ministries had devised ways to ensure no firm is owed by the government.

He announced that his ministry had sourced funds and channelled them into the road sector to improve transport across different regions.

“The road sector is roaring back again courtesy of good planning by the ministry. We have paid road sector bills dating back to 2005, when Mwai Kibaki was president. Some of these bills were still outstanding until last year,” Mbadi said.

He noted that his ministry has cleared pending bills up to September 2025.

“We will clear all the bills, and the road sector will no longer face these challenges. The government’s agenda is to transform the country,” he added.

Odhuno said many residents who depend on the road have faced difficulties travelling due to its poor condition.

He added that completion of the road will open up the area for business.

“Construction of the road is a milestone and is set to change lives by improving the economic prospects of residents. We urge road users to exercise caution to avoid traffic accidents,” Odhuno said.