Justin Muturi, the cabinet secretary for public services, has criticized the administration for starting new road projects while leaving numerous old ones unfinished.
Muturi voiced his concerns about the government’s propensity to start several projects without guaranteeing the completion of current ones during his remarks before the National Assembly Labour Committee on Thursday. His comments follow his recent attacks on the administration he works for.
The CS also criticized the administration for the way the nation’s road construction financing is being handled.
Muturi told the MPs, “I have traveled around this country and noticed that some projects have stalled for more than 30 years. I do not know whether there is something wrong with our psyche as a nation.”
Can you complete one if you lack the resources to complete them all? Can we acquire enough funding to complete one and then work on the next one later?” he continued.
The CS told the committee about his recent journey around the country, emphasizing his stop in Makueni County, where he saw a lot of unfinished government housing projects.
He explained, “I visited a location in Makueni County called Wote where there are houses whose construction began more than 30 years ago and is still stalled.”
In recent months, Muturi has been a more outspoken opponent of the administration he works for, denouncing practices like forced disappearances and kidnappings.
Notwithstanding the government’s continuous difficulties in obtaining sufficient budgetary means to finance them, President William Ruto has persisted in announcing the start of new development projects and promising more.
The Cabinet resolution to dismantle and consolidate some state enterprises will not result in employment losses for Kenyans, the CS assured the parliamentary committee.
Muturi says that the government would have to deal with the difficulty of compensating impacted workers in the event that job losses become necessary.
Even in the event that retrenchment became necessary, he continued, “appropriate compensatory processes would have to be sought out.”
