Government Projects Sh37.3 Billion for Road Repairs After Torrential Rains-CS Murkomen

The Kenyan government has disclosed an estimated budget of Sh37.3 billion to restore roads severely damaged by recent torrential rains. Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen shared this information after a thorough performance review meeting with regional road directors at Bara Bara Plaza.

The extensive damage to the country's road infrastructure is attributed to the El Nino phenomenon last year and the recent flooding episodes. According to Murkomen, the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) requires Sh18.5 billion for the repairs. The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) have pegged their restoration costs at Sh9.7 billion and Sh9.1 billion, respectively.

Efforts to repair the damaged roads have already begun, prioritizing the most critical areas where communities are cut off. The Ministry of Transport is also engaging with development partners to garner additional financial support due to the scale of the damage.

Murkomen emphasized the need for regional directors to maximize the quality of repairs with the resources at hand. He pointed out that the lack of maintenance funds for KeRRA roads is a significant concern. The ministry is working to ensure the efficient distribution of resources from the Roads Maintenance Levy to address these issues.

In addition to these measures, Murkomen is actively negotiating with Parliament and the Treasury to secure increased funding for road maintenance. He has instructed KeRRA to compile a comprehensive list of road networks without maintenance allocations and those that have been entirely destroyed to facilitate immediate corrective actions by the Ministry.

Despite the Ministry of Transport being allocated Sh43 billion for the current financial year, it faces a considerable pending bill of Sh165 billion. This substantial deficit highlights the urgent need for increased funding to restore and maintain the nation's crucial road infrastructure.