Bett assures residents on Ikolomani road

Saturday, 04 June 2011 00:06 BY MOSOKU GEOFFREY

The Ministry of Roads has come out strongly to refute claims that the Sigalagala-Butere road has been abandoned in Ikolomani constituency after an ODM candidate lost during the recent by-election.
Roads minister Franklin Bett called a press conference yesterday to clarify the matter raised by MP-elect Bonny Khalwale on Tuesday. The minister said that the contractor will start work on Monday following the lapse of 28 days for preparation after he won the tender. “I want to categorically say here that it was not a gimmick, it was intended to be a political gimmick; it was real,” Bett told reporters in his office.
He said Associated Construction Company, was awarded the contract on the March 28 with the contract having been officially signed on April 26. The contractor was then ordered to commence work on May 9 with a period of 28 days to assemble his machinery on the site.
Bett said that the first phase of the 35-kilometre road covering Sigalagala-Butere-Sidindi will cost Sh1.81 billion and is expected to be complete by mid 2013. “The project which commences on June 6 this year must be through by end of June 2013, taking a period of 24 months,” he added.
He explained the removal of equipment from the site saying they had been brought for the official launch of the project and then returned to the site office. “After the ceremonial launch, the equipment was taken to Mulwanda site office but now they will be moved to Malinya which is in Ikolomani,” Bett added.
On Tuesday, Khalwale alleged that the Shigalagala-Butere Road which Raila inaugurated had been abandoned after ODM’s Bernard Shinali lost the parliamentary by-election in the area.
He likened the new development to Moi's era when the KPLC assembled powe lines and posts in Kipipiri constituency which were later removed when DP’s Mwangi Githiomi was re-elected during a by-election.
“All the earth movers brought to Ikolomani vanished when ODM candidate was defeated and even the commemorative plaque removed,” he told reporters at the Railways club in Nairobi.
However, the minister who is also the Buret MP asked leaders to keep off politics from development projects saying all contracts issued by the government have to go on.  “Stories of disruption of equipment on the road are propaganda and mere political campaign,” he added.