Government Announces Nationwide Project Inspection Amid Ghost Project Allegations

The Kenyan government has announced a comprehensive nationwide inspection of development projects, scheduled to take place from September 10 to September 14, 2024. This move comes amid ongoing allegations that President William Ruto’s administration has been relaunching ghost projects, potentially squandering billions of taxpayer money.

In a statement released on Monday, Andrew Teyie, Communications Director at the National Government Coordination Secretariat (NGCS), revealed that the inspection would be jointly conducted by the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Interior Ministry. The inspection teams will first cover the Eastern and Coast regions before moving on to North Eastern, Nairobi, Central, Rift Valley, Nyanza, and Western regions. Their mandate will include documenting issues and identifying challenges to improve the coordination of service delivery.

The government has outlined 13 key programmes for inspection, reflecting a broad spectrum of development initiatives:

Kenya Leather Industrial Park Completion: The inspection will include the Kenanie Leather Industrial Park in Machakos County, aimed at boosting the local leather industry.
Expansion of Cotton Production: The government plans to expand cotton production from 26,000 to 200,000 acres. This includes projects in Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Meru, and Mtwapa, focusing on the distribution of BT Cotton Seeds.
County Aggregation and Industrial Parks: These parks are planned across all 47 counties, with specific inspections scheduled for Lunga Lunga in Kwale County.
Special Economic Zones (SEZs): The inspection will cover the completion and operationalization of SEZs in Athi River (Eastern) and Dongo Kundu (Coast).
Affordable Housing Units: The government aims to construct 200,000 affordable housing units annually. Key projects include Moke Gardens in Athi River, civil servants’ houses in Embu, and Mzizima Estate in Mombasa.
Road Construction: The inspection will cover the construction of 6,000 km of roads, including specific routes like Chiakariga-Marimanti-Gatunga Road in Tharaka Nithi and various township roads in Kwale and Mombasa.
Expansion of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET): This includes institutions like Chuka TTI in Tharaka Nithi and Ahmed Mwindani TTI in Mombasa.
Livestock Export Zones: The inspection will focus on the Bachuma Livestock Export Zone in Taita Taveta and the construction of a new zone in Lamu.
Port Development: Development and operationalization of ports, including Mombasa port, are part of the inspection agenda.
National Liquefied Petroleum Gas Enhancement Project: This includes projects related to the enhancement of LPG infrastructure, notably at the Kenya Coast National Polytechnic in Mombasa.
National Government Administration Infrastructure: Refurbishments of County Commissioner’s offices in Machakos, Isiolo, and Kwale will be assessed.
Ultra-Modern Tuna Fish Hub: The Liwatoni Tuna Fish Hub in Mombasa is part of the inspection programme.
Galana-Kulalu Food Security Project: This initiative in Kilifi is also on the inspection list.

Despite these ambitious plans, the government faces criticism from the public. Concerns have been raised about the timing of the inspection, particularly after lawyer-turned-activist Morara Kebaso’s exposés on numerous incomplete or abandoned projects. Kebaso’s nationwide tour has highlighted alleged mismanagement and misuse of public funds, casting a shadow over the government’s efforts.

Critics question why additional taxpayer money is being allocated for the inspection of projects that have already been launched and whether this exercise will yield any tangible results. There are fears that the inspection could become another bureaucratic exercise with little real impact on addressing the issues at hand.

The government’s inspection initiative is seen as a response to mounting scrutiny and a bid to restore public confidence. However, the effectiveness of this measure will depend on the transparency of the process and the concrete actions taken to address any identified problems. As the inspection unfolds, all eyes will be on how the findings are handled and whether they lead to meaningful improvements in project execution and management.