Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has claimed that a contractor working on a road project in Ol Kalou withdrew machinery from the area following the recent parliamentary by-election.
Kuria said the contractor, identified as Chinese national Cheng Li, pulled out equipment from the Ithagani-Gorika-Kanyarere Road project after concerns over the safety of his workers.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Sunday, August 9, Kuria linked the development to an incident involving supporters of newly elected Ol Kalou MP Sammy Waweru Ngotho.
According to Kuria, the supporters allegedly removed signage that had been put up at the road construction site after the July 16 election.
He said the incident left the contractor and his staff feeling threatened, prompting them to withdraw from the project.
“And then I got this report that from the road contractor, a guy called Cheng Li, Chinese guy, that he’s withdrawn the equipment for one road, one of the roads I’m very proud of, called Ithagani-Gorika-Kanyarere Road, because of perceived insecurity,” Kuria said.
He added that the contractor’s withdrawal was connected to the removal of the project signage.
“And because the guy won, his supporters went and put down even the signage that was there for the roads. And of course, the contractor and their staff, they felt threatened and they have pulled back,” he said.
Kuria said the development was unfortunate, arguing that government projects should benefit residents regardless of which political side they support.
The former CS said he had earlier assured residents that development projects in the constituency would continue regardless of the outcome of the election.
“Because I got reports, I promised the people of Ol Kalou that, irrespective of the decision that they took on July 16, every other development project that was going on there will be completed. And I’m very much committed to that,” he said.
His comments follow political discussions regarding the future of various government development initiatives that were initiated in Ol Kalou during the campaign period.
There have been elections for the constituency, and on 16th July, a highly anticipated by-election took place. The winner of this election was DCP’s Sammy Waweru Ngotho.
Waweru, who had the support of the former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, emerged victorious by beating Samwel Muchina Nyagah from UDA by a wide margin.
This election was preceded by a very competitive election period that saw various government development projects being proposed, including road developments, affordable housing, university infrastructure, and subsidised cooking gas.
Kuria, who has been involved in various development projects in the region, stated that the political struggle should not determine whether citizens will benefit from development and services.
However, his claims about the road contractor’s withdrawal have not, in the information provided, been independently confirmed by the contractor or the new MP.
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