Nairobi News

An executive order by Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso for the demolition of a Sh 8.4 million culvert is yet to be implemented.

Triple Tie Investment Company, the firm that won a tender to construct the Chepkositonik bridge in Merigi ward, Bomet East Sub County, partially demolished the bridge in early October and quickly abandoned the site.

The culvert has become the most embarrassing transaction in Dr Laboso’s administration.

The company failed to implement the Sh 8,457,560 project on time. The contract was awarded on June 18, 2018 and was to be handed over to the county government on December 17, 2018.

County Executive in charge of roads Engineer Philiph Sowek has confirmed that the contractor failed to implement the project within the stipulated time and as such the contract had been terminated.

RE-ADVERTISE TENDER

“We shall re-advertise the tender in early January, 2019 as the tender awarded to Triple Tie Investment Company stands cancelled having run its full course without implementation. It shall be re-tendered under the 2018/2019 fiscal year,” said Engineer Sowek.

The Ministry of Infrastructure recommended that the materials used to construct the bridge did not meet the minimum required standards and the facility should be demolished.

A report released by the Material Testing and Research Division at the Kisii regional laboratory in the Ministry of Infrastructure dated August 28, 2018 confirmed that samples of the material used to construct the bridge did not meet the comprehensive strength of a bridge.

“The materials used to construct the structure did not meet the comprehensive strength required of a bridge and should be demolished,” reads the letter in part.

It also emerged that the contractor did not have a certification on Environmental Impact Assessment from the National Environment and Management Authority (NEMA).

Tender documents list the directors of Triple Tie Investment Company as Mr Erick Kipkorir Mutai, Mr Joseph Mutai, and Ms Viola Chelangat.