Ksh.100M Saku TTI Stalled after 8 Years of Construction
Jirme Community, located in the Saku Constituency of Marsabit County, is requesting that President William Ruto intervene in the nearly decade-long delay of the construction of the Saku Technical Training Institute (TTI).
The community noted that insecurity, an increase in the cost of construction materials, and an attempt by a private developer to seize the community land on which the project is situated have impeded its completion.
For completion and handover, the stalled Saku Technical Training Institute (TTI) requires an additional Ksh 17 million in funding.
Eight years ago, the national government took the initiative to create a path to increase its technical competitiveness.
President Ruto, who was then the Vice President, commissioned the initiative in April 2015, with the intention of enrolling high school leavers in technical courses that would equip them with skills for the job market and self-sufficiency.
Residents, led by Ms. Mekelina Lepalo, who is also a member of the project committee, observed that the undertaking has consumed Sh 44 million to date, but there are no indications that it will be completed soon.
Ms. Lepalo told KNA on-site that many of the youth who were to benefit from the institute are wasting away in villages and Marsabit town, where they are exposed to illegal substances and alcohol.
Residents added that a private developer’s intrusion into the parcel of land set aside by the community for the project has impeded its progress for an extended period of time.
Galm Guyo, the project’s contractor, claims that a lack of funding and a legal dispute prevented William Ruto, the project’s then-vice president, from officially launching it in April 2015.
The national government allocated 100 million shillings for the construction and furnishing of the educational facility in the Saku constituency of Marsabit County.
According to Mr. Galm, there have been three significant hurdles encountered during the project’s completion: insecurity, funding issues, and a legal case filed by an individual who claims his private property was seized.
The contractor told Citizen Digital that his company, Malach General Construction Limited, was issued a Ksh. 44 million tender document after he took over the site after the demise of the previous contractor.
According to him, racial tensions had an impact on their work, and the high cost of materials presented difficulties. Additionally, a court case emerged as another obstacle, significantly affecting their performance.
He noted that these issues had taken a toll on him, and he expressed a sense of helplessness as no assistance seemed to be in sight.
Mr. Galm added that Dido Ali Rasso, a member of parliament from Saku, gave a personal donation of Ksh. 2 million so that construction could resume as the matter was being pursued progressively.
The contractor stated that the MP had expressed significant concern and provided advice along with financial support, expressing a desire for their children to reap the benefits of the project. However, the contractor lamented being trapped in a challenging situation.
He requested that the national government provide him with an additional Ksh 17 million so that he can complete the project and pass it over within three months.
Mr. Galm stated that if the government promptly disburses the amount, he will finalize the project within an unprecedented span of 90 days.
He emphasized that once the project is completed, he will hand it over and find solace. He clarified his perspective, mentioning that, despite being a businessperson, his focus is no longer on deriving profit from this undertaking.
The contractor believes that the completion of the project will reduce the number of students pursuing technical training institutions outside the county’s borders, as well as the transport and fee burden.
On a slightly larger than 100-acre plot of land in Jirime, a state-of-the-art structure with contemporary amenities was designed.
Mr. Galm continued by stating that he preferred not to discuss an ongoing court case, but he did provide some information.
He mentioned that the community had applied to the Isiolo court in an effort to appeal the earlier ruling by the Marsabit High Court. This earlier decision had declared the land to be in private ownership.
Currently, he is pleading with President William Ruto and local authorities to intervene and ensure the project’s completion. Residents of Jirime echoed his sentiments.
Abdullah Dabasso, one of these residents, stated, “It is time for the President to personally intervene, as we wish to use this land for projects such as the construction of health facilities, police posts, water points, and schools.”
Mekelina Lepalo, an additional resident, expressed concern that the project will fail if an immediate concrete solution is not found.
Together, the contractor and the residents are requesting an amicable resolution to the obstacles delaying the project.
Ms. Adhi Kalicha, a local women’s leader, appealed to the president to come to their aid, stating that the community never gave the disputed land to an individual.
“This community has filed a lawsuit with the Isiolo High Court in an effort to prevent further claims and frustration in the development of the land for the community’s benefit,” she explained.
Despite the fact that the community and local leadership made an effort in this direction nine years ago, Ms. Kalicha noted that mothers were upset about their children’s inability to acquire skills and knowledge.
Malach General Construction Limited has suffered losses as a result of vandalism and the seizure of building supplies every time there is insecurity, for which the national government has since paid Sh44 million.
The company’s director, Galgalo Guyo, stated that his company had lost steel and wooden doors, electrical products, and ceiling boards worth millions of shillings to thieves and is now requesting Sh17 million from the government in order to complete the project.
Mr. Guyo stated that he had begun a small amount of work after receiving a donation of Sh2 million from the local MP, Dido Rasso, but he now needs the quoted amount to complete the project, which is 90 percent complete.
The contractor stated that he could have completed the project much earlier if not for the aforementioned factors, particularly insecurity, which resulted in the deaths of three people, including a security guard at the site.
The construction project employs approximately 80 individuals at any given time, whenever it is active.
Ksh.100M Saku TTI Stalled after 8 Years of Construction
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