Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussein has hit back at popular lawyer and activist, Morara Kebaso, on the details of an unfinished road in Kisii county recently relaunched by President Ruto.
Morara garnered attention for his recent videos highlighting stalled government projects and encouraging Kenyans to do the same.
Hussein accused Morara of misleading Kenyans, arguing the road project, initially launched under former President Uhuru Kenyatta, was terminated by the Ruto administration in May last year, only to be recently relaunched by the current President.
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The government notably amped up its public relations campaigns to address the recent wave of nationwide protests, with police shootings, and abductions grabbing the headlines.
This was before the nusu-mkate theory birthed the formation of a broad-based (all-inclusive) government, tethered on absorbing the opposition.
On Monday, August 19, the Government Spokesperson took to X, formerly Twitter, to debunk the lawyer’s claims.
Hussein explained the road project, a 64.6-kilometre stretch winding through Kitutu Chache North and South constituencies, was launched in 2016.
Moreover, Morara also displayed the power of citizen journalism coupled with social media, having personally travelled around Kenya following up on projects initially used to gain political mileage, now stalled or nonexistent.
Of concern is the amount of money Kenyans lose to the politicization of national and county government projects, used as carrot sticks to appease the masses and ‘give the people what they want’ through well-crafted media campaigns, under the figleaf of progression.
His most recent jab seems to have irked State House with the spokesperson’s response only painting a picture of the current conversation and whispers in the corridors of power.
“Ndugu, stop misleading Kenyans! The road crisscrosses Kitutu Chache North and South constituencies in Kisii County and is 64.6 km. The project was initially awarded on 11th May 2016, and works commenced on 5th August 2016, after its launch by President Uhuru Kenyatta.” his response to Kebaso’s Tweet read.
During his recent visit to Kisii, Kebaso criticized local leaders for excessively brown-nosing Ruto and questioned whether there really was any tangible development in the region.
“Abagusii leaders were busy simping and praising Ruto like a Lord. This is Metembe – Marani – Kegogi – Nyaore Road. Launched in 2016 by Uhuru, Launched again juzi when Ruto came to Kisii. Those leaders should stop playing with our minds. Which development did the president bring to Kisii? Tell us,” Morara wrote on his X account.
However, Mohamed said the project hit the brakes when the original contractor underperformed in May 2023.
“The contract was mutually terminated on 16th May 2023, due to the contractor’s non-performance. At the time of termination, the contractor had completed 27km, with 77 months having lapsed out of the 30-month contract period,” Mohamed clarified.
The former anchorman claimed Ruto’s relaunch of the road was more about keeping promises than cutting the same ribbon twice.
“President @WilliamsRuto officially relaunched the newly awarded road contract, fulfilling his pledge to complete all stalled road projects. The contract period for the works is 42 months and a further maintenance period of 36 months,” Mohamed tweeted.
Why Roads Are Perfect Breeding Grounds for Embezzlement
Corruption is especially prevalent in road projects affecting the quality and efficiency of infrastructure development.
Nationally, government corruption, diffusion of responsibility, conflicting interests among different government departments, insufficient enforcement, and limited reporting and data on corruption convictions hinder effective anti-corruption efforts on road projects.
Additionally, at the project level, limited transparency (situation kwa ground), the complex nature of road projects and the perpetuation of misconduct in interconnected corrupt practices collectively create an environment where corruption thrives, impeding the successful implementation of road projects.
Of concern is the amount of money Kenyans lose to the politicization of national and county government projects, used as carrot sticks to appease the masses and ‘give the people what they want’ through well-crafted media campaigns, under the figleaf of progression.
Time Will Tell
In response to Kebaso’s concerns about the relaunch, Mohamed made a point to emphasize that ‘Official Launches’ are usually more about celebrating milestones and public relations than anything else.
He recommended the blogger pay a visit to the site to witness the real development (the Kegogo-Sombogo-Marani-Ititi section) and shared time-stamped photographic evidence of work in progress.
“FYI: A project launch is often just a ceremonial event, and it sometimes occurs after work have already begun, hence the phrase ‘official launch.’ Don’t overly concern yourself with plaques. You should’ve gone to the Kegogi-Sombogo-Marani-Ititi section where works are ongoing. Today’s photos of the ongoing works are below,” Mohamed advised.
The former Citizen TV anchor seeks transparency, but many sceptical Kenyans are frustrated with project management at both county and national levels.
This discontent began during Uhuru’s presidency where Ruto served as deputy president for a decade, and has only intensified in Ruto’s first term at the helm.
