Kenya has some of the worst roads in the world. But corruption thrives in the road construction industry. In some cases, funds have been released and no work done.

Opposition leader Mwai Kibaki has alleged that the government diverted Sh850 million earmarked for the repair of the Taveta Road. In the records, the road is complete, but on the ground, nothing had been done, he claims.

The Democratic Party of Kenya chairman says the Ministry of Public Works records estimates erroneously indicate that the money was used on building the road. the project.

At least Sh7 billion is allocated by the government each year for road maintenance, yet little is done. In contrast, the current extensive construction and repair of roads damaged in various parts of the country by during the El Nino rains, which has been sponsored by the World Bank under a special project, will costs less than Sh10 billion.

Did we have to involve the bank to get things moving? Where do the billions of shillings raised each year from the Fuel Levy and other taxes go?

It is mainly due to corruption in the road construction industry that Some of the foreign investors have been thinking of relocating are threatening to relocate to more attractive countries - neighbouring countries - to save on the r f he because in protest against the highvehicle maintenance costs and time wasted on the bad dilapidated roads.

"The time to really worry is when the local manufacturers like us start thinking about various moving to Uganda and Tanzania," said Mr Prakash Mehta, director of Ken Aluminium Products Ltd, in a letter to Federation of Kenya Employers (KAM) complaining about the terrible state of the key Lunga Lunga Road in Nairobi's Industrial Area.

Manufacturers, especially in Nairobi's Industrial Area, are losing 50 per cent business because of the rundown infrastructure. KAM is so disgusted that it with the current state of affairs, wants a commission set up to investigate the road construction industry. with a view to exposing the unscrupulous individuals and firms involved.

The Association of Consulting Engineers of Kenya has often claimed that corrupt staff in the Ministries of Public Works and Local Authorities collude with crooked consultants and contractors to cheat in rip off the government through road repair projects.

The World Bank, which is funding the reconstruction of a number of key roads, has not been spared criticism either. The engineers claim the bank has shut its eyes to corruption and other irregularities in their projects.

President Moi has often asked wondered why it should cost more than Sh10 million to repair a kilometre of a bad road.

In an effort to bring Now the government says it wants to bring sanity to the industry, a policy is being drafted to regulate it. This will include the establishment of a roads board whose members will be drawn from both the public and private sectors.
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