A contractor in Kakamega County is being pursued by detectives after he was allegedly paid for work not satisfactorily done. Investigations reveal that the State Department of Interior entered into a contract for the construction of the National Registration Office Block in Shinyalu Kakamega East, at an estimated cost of Ksh. 4,164,138.
Available documents indicate that the contract was signed on 3rd March 2022 for 24 weeks. Documents further reveal that payments made against AIE B133492 on 28th September 2021 were Ksh.3.6m.
However, the project records and inspection carried out in November 2022 indicated that the project was handed over to the State Department in May 2022 but at the time of the inspection, six months after completion, the office block was still not in use.
Further, the inspection of the project revealed construction defects and non-adherence to provisions of the Bill of Quantities as detailed below.
(i) Use of ordinary coloured iron sheets instead of box profile iron sheets as per BQ specifications.
(ii) (ii) Use of blue gum timber instead of cypress timber on trusses as per BQ specifications.
(iii) The contractor did not use steel on the windows and did not install window fasteners.
(iv) (iv) The contractor did not use steel doors, cypress frames for the doors and Union mortice locks.
(v) Window curtain holders were not put in place and defects on walling were identified.
The contractor is being pursued over the shoddy work done but received full payments.
