Africa-Press – Kenya. The government has cleared all the unpaid bills for road contractors, amounting to Sh177 billion, which have been pending since 2020.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the settling of the bills has paved the way for the resumption of construction of roads that had stalled for years because of non-payment.
On Wednesday, the DP at the Official Residence in Karen, Nairobi, received a status report on the ongoing roads, bridges and other major infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Ministry of Roads and Transport.
“The Government has cleared the entire amount of pending bills owed to contractors, a total of Sh177 billion, which remained unpaid since 2020, leading to the stalling of the construction of 6,000 kilometres of roads across Kenya,” DP noted.
The Deputy President said the government is working hard to provide funds for the completion of the 6,000 km of roads to avert delayed payments.
“Contractors are now back on site, and adequate resources have been mobilised to ensure contractors are paid promptly,” he stated.
Kindiki challenged the Ministry and the contractors to adhere to the highest quality standards and deliver the projects on time.
Earlier during the meeting, Kindiki said that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) remain central to Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation agenda.
The DP said the government is moving to strengthen key youth empowerment programmes aimed at accelerating job creation and income growth.
Kindiki added that MSMEs provide the critical first steps toward value addition and early-stage industrialisation, noting that many countries that have transitioned from developing to developed economies relied heavily on the growth of small businesses.
Attention is now focused on two major youth-focused initiatives, the Sh29 billion National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement programme and the forthcoming Sh20 billion Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation (KJET) project, which are expected to create jobs and income opportunities for nearly two million young people.
He said the two programmes are seen as flagship interventions designed to expand economic inclusion, particularly among youth and small enterprises, while supporting the broader Bottom-Up Economic Transformation framework.
During a meeting held in Karen on Wednesday, the DP met government Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and heads of implementing agencies, where they reviewed the structure and implementation of the Nyota and Kjet programmes.
The meeting resolved to unbundle the projects to improve efficiency, reallocate resources and eliminate unnecessary costs that may be limiting the reach of the initiatives.
