Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has claimed that a Chinese contractor withdrew machinery from a road project in Ol Kalou following the defeat of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in the July 16 by-election.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Sunday, August 9, Kuria said the contractor working on the Ithagani-Gorika-Kanyarere Road project pulled out equipment after allegedly raising concerns over insecurity.
According to Kuria, the situation reportedly followed an incident in which supporters of newly elected Ol Kalou MP Sammy Waweru Ngotho allegedly pulled down signage installed at the road construction site.
Kuria said the contractor, identified as Cheng Li, and his staff subsequently felt threatened and decided to leave the area.
“Because I got reports, I promised the people of Ol Kalou that, irrespective of the decision that they took on July 16, every other development project that was going on there will be completed. And I'm very much committed to that,” Kuria said.
He, however, said the contractor's withdrawal had complicated efforts to continue with some of the projects.
“And then I got this report that from the road contractor, a guy called Cheng Li, Chinese guy, that he's withdrawn the equipment for one road, one of the roads I'm very proud of, called Ithagani-Gorika-Kanyarere Road, because of perceived insecurity,” he added.
Kuria, who previously served as an advisor to President William Ruto, claimed that supporters of Ngotho, who won the by-election on a Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) ticket, were behind the incident.
“And because the guy won, his supporters went and put down even the signage that was there for the roads. And of course, the contractor and their staff, they felt threatened and they have pulled back,” he said.
The former CS described the development as unfortunate, arguing that government projects should benefit residents regardless of their political affiliations.
Kuria had been overseeing development projects in Ol Kalou ahead of the by-election and had promised residents that ongoing projects would continue regardless of the election outcome.
His remarks come amid claims that some government projects initiated in the constituency have stalled following UDA's defeat.
In the July 16 by-election, UDA candidate Samwel Muchina Nyagah was defeated by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's DCP candidate Sammy Waweru Ngotho, who secured more than 85 per cent of the votes cast.
The election came after an intense campaign period during which the government reportedly rolled out several development initiatives in the constituency, including road projects, affordable housing, a university and student hostels, as well as subsidised cooking gas cylinders.