In Kericho County, the once-promising Kerenga Airstrip project has taken an unexpected turn, becoming the focal point of protests led by local youths.
The project, intended to boost regional infrastructure, has been transformed into a football field, a bold act of defiance by frustrated residents.
The youths have repurposed the site to hold football matches, symbolizing their protest against the alleged misappropriation of Ksh 50 million by the contractor, Global Allied Construction Ltd, which was tasked with rehabilitating the airstrip.
Initially, the Kericho County Government allocated Ksh 100 million for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the airstrip.
However, the project has stalled, with little to no progress visible on the ground.
This delay has fueled accusations of corruption, particularly after investigations revealed irregularities in the tendering process.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) launched an inquiry, finding that Global Allied Construction Ltd had submitted fraudulent documents, including fake bank statements, to win the tender.
This discovery has raised tensions between local leaders, with Belgut MP Nelson Koech leading the charge in calling for accountability.
The MP, alongside other local leaders, claimed that the contractor, in collusion with senior government officials, manipulated the procurement process.
According to Koech, Global Allied Construction was favored during the bidding by altering tender requirements to include a condition that only companies with National Construction Authority (NCA) 2 certification could qualify.
This was allegedly a deliberate attempt to lock out competitors and award the contract to a preselected firm.
The EACC’s findings confirmed Koech’s suspicions, revealing that the contractor had forged documents to secure the tender. In response, Governor Eric Mutai defended his administration, insisting that the procurement process followed all legal procedures.
He dismissed Koech’s allegations as politically motivated, aimed at tarnishing the image of the county government.
Mutai pointed out that the county assembly, not individual MPs, is the body responsible for overseeing county projects.
Despite the governor’s defense, public frustration continues to mount, with residents increasingly skeptical of the county’s handling of the project.
The transformation of the airstrip into a football field has drawn attention to the wider issue of stalled development projects across Kenya.
For many youths in Kericho, this act of protest is not just about the airstrip; it is a manifestation of their frustration with systemic corruption and the lack of accountability.
Their decision to use the airstrip for football symbolizes the ways in which they are reclaiming public spaces for their own needs, in the absence of meaningful government intervention.
As the investigation continues, residents of Kericho await justice.
For now, the football matches at the Kerenga Airstrip serve as a constant reminder of the unfulfilled promises of development, and the Ksh 50 million that remains unaccounted for.
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