Eldoret: Construction of prison staff houses for Eldoret Main Prison that stalled 19 years ago is set to resume soon, Chief of Staff (AOI), Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary (OPCS), Joseph Busiega has assured. The completion of the housing project is expected to bring relief to the prison staff who have been patiently waiting for the improved housing quarters.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mr. Busiega gave the assurance of government commitment while speaking during a courtesy call to the office of the Officer-in-Charge, Eldoret Main Prison, Assistant Commissioner General of Prisons (ACGP) Samwel Chepkonga. He had paid the courtesy call as the National Government Coordination Secretariat (NGCS) made Field Verification Visits in Eldoret.
The Chief of Staff raised concern over the 19-year-old stalled project in G.K. Main Prison, pointing out it needs serious attention in terms of financial allocation to be completed, noting only 17 per cent of the works are undone. "16 million is not so much. This matter needs to be escalated to have it addressed effectively to ensure officers have access to proper and decent housing," noted Busiega.
In his remarks, ACGP Chepkonga indicated that the project, which was initiated in the financial year 2006/2007 by the government through the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, is at 83.75% complete. He explained that it has stalled for 19 years after having been contracted to M/S Bureli International and later the Spion Construction Company, stating that the project requires an additional Sh16 million to finalise the remaining work.
He further stated that the contractor, Spion Construction Company, had briefly resumed construction work in 2019 but vacated the site after a few months due to lack of payment. "In August 2022 the contractor came back again and stopped the works later in the year with a claim of Sh6,377,230, which was not paid," he added.
The memo on the current state of the project reads that the main pending works include repairs and replacement of broken and vandalised items, sewer line and sewer system, mechanical works, power installation, wiring, and fittings. The project comprises 30 units of 2-bedroom self-contained houses.
Chepkonga noted that the current staff houses in the correctional and rehabilitation facility can only accommodate 10 per cent of the more than 900 officers, noting that more houses will ensure more officers are accommodated in close proximity to duty stations, which will enable them to offer services more effectively and efficiently.
On his part, the Government Delivery Services (GDS) Rift Valley Regional Coordinator, Olando Sitati, underscored that the correctional facility may benefit from the Institutional Housing programme of the government. He advised the administration of the prison to apply through the office of the Director of Housing, Uasin Gishu, and the office of the county commissioner in order to be considered for the same.