KeNHA director-general Peter Mundinia ( Centre) at a past event. [Photo/ Business Daily]
The Jubilee administration has launched a Sh1.24 billion road project in Raila Odinga’s home county of Siaya.The construction work on the Ugunja-Ukwala-Rwambwa road is set to start anytime, after a Chinese company was awarded the contract. Completion of the 28-km road, which touches on Siaya and Busia counties — where Mr Odinga has been a major leader for many years — will see the path improved to bitumen standards, according to Kenya National Highways Authority (KenHA) director general Peter Mundinia. The KenHA boss said the road will be completed in two and half years. “We will spend colossal amount on this road and we expect the contractor to give us quality work,” Mr Mundinia said, as quoted by KNA. KenHA has entered into a deal with another contractor to finish working on Uludhi Bridge, which connects Siaya and Ugunja towns. The bridge, whose stalled construction has been stalled for years, has forced motorists to use a very unstable section. “We are expecting the contractor to be on site within the next two weeks to do maintenance of the potholes along the Siaya–Ugunja road,” he said.President Uhuru Kenyatta has been keen to construct roads in previously neglected areas, such as rural Nyanza, North Eastern and Mombasa regions. A few weeks ago, it was revealed that the crazy traffic jams in Mombasa County may be a thing of the past, following the awarding of a Sh6.5 billion contract to build the Mombasa-Jomvu superhighway. Work on the busy road, set to be completed in 30 months, has already started. The major road projects in areas that strongly support NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga may end up making his supporters to question why the ODM leader did nothing when he served as roads minister and prime minister.