The Treasury gazetted regulations that will operationalize a special fund that will finance the tarmacking of roads in the next five years/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 19 – The Nairobi City County Government has received Sh415,847,530 million as roads maintenance levy funds from the Kenya Roads Board.
This is in accordance with the County Allocation of Revenue Act 2018 and the Public Finance Management Act 2012. The Acts mandate the board to release the levy funds to counties every financial year as conditional grants.
The funds were to be submitted last financial year but delayed due to misunderstanding on compliance procedures. However, the board says it has been impressed by the tremendous road upgrade programs being undertaken by the county government.
A letter from the KRB executive director Jacob Ruwa to the Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko states that the funds have to be used in line with the 2019/20 work plan.
“You are required to apply the funds in line with the approved FY 2018/19 Work Plan submitted to the Board,” read Ruwa’s letter in part.
The board said it is impressed with compliance levels and found it significant to remit the funds to the County Revenue Fund.
However, Ruwa demanded that the funds be used appropriately as required by the law. The funds are to be accounted for in accordance with the requirements of the KRB Act. The funds will back up the county’s Sh3.64 billion allocated for the roads sector this financial year.
Governor Sonko said the funds will be used for construction of feeder roads in the wards and maintenance of existing roads managed by the county. He was speaking after meeting executive and assembly leadership in Mombasa Tuesday morning over budget and revenue mobilization.
“It comes in handy for us and we are going straight to the wards with the funds as per our 2018/19 work plan,” Sonko said.
The county has so far done 123km of roads and its target is to hit 190km by end of this financial year. Last year, the county embarked on a major road upgrade and completion of its road network. The move came after the Governor said his administration would hand Sh1.5 billion to the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) to undertake the projects.
So far, the county has contributed Sh800 million, while Kura paid a total of Sh1.9 billion to finance the first phase whose main focus is in Nairobi’s Eastlands area and city centre.
Gov. Sonko maintained that his administration will continue to collaborate with the national government agencies to ensure upgrade of roads is successful. Nairobi County government has spent Sh1.3 billion to repair and build roads, bridges and install streetlights since he took over at City Hall in August 2017.
Some of the roads done and almost being commissioned include Lumumba Drive in Roysambu, Maji Mzuri Access Road and Bishop Ireri Road in Kasarani, Kahuho Road in Dagoretti South and Muthiora Road in Dagoretti North.
Roads executive Hitan Majevdya said 10 other roads are complete and will soon be launched.
These are Salim Road in Dagoreti, Karen Rich road, Likoni link road in South B, Jadong Musimbi road and Ngara road.
Others are Gathuru road in Kawangware, Thi’ongo road in Mountain View Ward, Mama Wahu in Ngando Ward and Daraja road.
The Kimondo road linking Kware ward and Pipeline is nearing completion while the Kobil Kware road is also nearing completion.
“Last year, we did well in the roads sector especially in the largest constituency of Embakasi.
This year, we have focused more on the other parts of Nairobi like Dagoreti, Westlands, Lang’ata and Kibra,” Majevdia said.
The County has also begun rehabilitation works on Nyayo Estate in Embakasi, both in Gate B and D.
