A contractor in Kisii County is appealing for government intervention after allegedly going unpaid for a school construction project completed under the Bamachoge National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).
Joel Onsase, a contractor from Magenche Ward, says he is owed Ksh2.8 million for constructing Nyakorere Comprehensive Primary School. He reports that he was awarded the contract by Bomachoge NG-CDF in 2021 and completed the project last year, relying on loans and credit from hardware suppliers to finance the work and pay labourers.
According to Onsase, efforts to secure payment have been unsuccessful despite intervention from the Kenyenya Sub-County Commissioner’s office. “We agreed I would be paid, but the NG-CDF committee has not honoured the commitment,” he said.
The delayed payment has triggered tensions within the community. Thomas Okenagwa, a parent at the school, noted that casual labourers who worked on the project remain unpaid and are now pressuring the contractor. He urged the area MP, Obadiah Barongo, to step in and resolve the dispute.
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Education stakeholders warn that such cases are becoming increasingly common and threaten the delivery of public projects. Ban Nyaundi, a former official of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), said contractors play a critical role in developing school infrastructure and should not be subjected to financial distress after completing their work.
“You cannot build a classroom and then fail to pay the person who built it. This discourages others from engaging in construction projects,” Nyaundi said.
Experts note that delayed payments under NG-CDF have far-reaching consequences. Small and medium-sized contractors often depend on loans and supplier credit to execute projects. When payments stall, they face mounting debt, damaged creditworthiness, and in some cases, business closure. This, in turn, discourages qualified local firms from bidding for future projects.
The impact also extends to schools and learners. In some cases, contractors abandon projects due to non-payment, leaving incomplete classrooms and sanitation facilities. Even when funds are eventually released, inflation and vandalism often inflate costs, reducing the value of the initial investment.
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Observers further warn that payment delays may encourage corruption and compromise construction standards. Contractors may inflate costs to hedge against uncertainty or cut corners to stay afloat, undermining the quality of public infrastructure.
The issue also carries political implications. NG-CDF, designed to decentralize development and strengthen accountability, risks losing public trust when contractors and workers go unpaid. Accumulated pending bills can consume future allocations, limiting the rollout of new projects.
Analysts suggest that stricter adherence to financial regulations could address the problem. They recommend that NG-CDF committees only approve projects with secured funding, enforce timely payment within 90 days of completion, and adopt transparent systems that allow the public to track project funding and payment status.
For Onsase and others in similar situations, timely payment is not just a contractual obligation but a lifeline. As stakeholders emphasize, delays in settling such debts ultimately disrupt not only livelihoods but also the delivery of essential public services like education.
By Enock Okong’o
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