By Christopher Omondi
The opening and stone pitching of the Sije drainage in Kondele ward, Kisumu County, has been met with significant criticism from community members. Concerns have been raised over the shoddy work done in relation to the drainage opening, with many parts of the project left incomplete. Residents are frustrated by the sudden halt to the work, especially since the money for the project was already allocated by the Kisumu County government.
The residents acknowledge the importance of stone pitching but are disheartened by the quality of the materials used and the overall work performed by the contractor.
“The work that was done on this project was incomplete and shoddy, as most parts were left undone, specifically between the Sam Jabondo shop area and the Sije main bus stage at the Victory Farms shop. No work was done in terms of opening or stone pitching, and grass and shrubs are growing inside the tunnel. In areas where stone pitching was completed, no work was done to clear the drainage, as is evident between the Statehouse Manyatta bodaboda base, where mud and solid waste are clogging the drainage. This has resulted in ineffective water flow and stagnant water that may spread diseases, despite public money being allocated to contractors who cannot account for the project’s failures,” claimed Phanuel Onyango.
The project was financed by the city of Kisumu, with overall responsibility assigned to the City Manager, who has yet to respond to the stall in the project. This has further irritated residents, who wish to report the matter to the relevant government agencies.
“We want to report this issue to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the City Engineer for Kisumu regarding the shoddy work done on the drainage along the main road from Shule to Sije. The evidence is visible for everyone to see at the site. We also call out the Kisumu County government, specifically the City of Kisumu, led by the City Manager, as the office responsible for overseeing the project. Residents deserve to have the full picture of why the project remains incomplete, especially since the financial year is already over. This also raises concerns about our leaders’ commitment to services that affect us,” added Lawrence Kabila, a resident.
