Wamatangi terminates contract with developer after hospital project stalls

Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi on Sunday revealed that his administration had terminated a contract with a contractor hired during the previous regime.

The contractor in charge of the construction of Bibirioni Level 4 Hospital in Limuru is said to have delayed the construction process since the contract was awarded in 2018.

The 270-bed Bibirioni Level Four Hospital was first inaugurated in May 2018 by former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta before stalling in 2019.

“Construction began in 2018 and was due to be completed in 2020. But the contractor has shown its inability to complete the project,” Wamatangi said.

According to Wamatangi, the contractor continued to delay the project even after receiving payment for services in 2022.

“When I took over in 2022, I settled all their outstanding invoices, along with other contractors who were working on various hospital projects that had stalled, and we agreed to have them return to site,” he added.

However, even after the contractor received the funds, the project was still close to completion and the Kiambu County government alleged incompetence.

Furthermore, the governor, while comparing Bibirioni Hospital with others he had revived in 2022, stated that the contractor in question did not show any tangible progress while the rest registered some movement.

“However, in other projects, notably Rukuma and Thogoto, work has resumed and continued, while the contractor Bibirioni has continued at a slow pace,” Wamatangi said.

Furthermore, an Auditor General’s report for the 2022/2023 financial year exposed how hospitals have stagnated despite having absorbed over Sh800 million in county funds.

In an allegation against former Kiambu Governor James Nyoro and his predecessor Ferdinand Waititu, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, in her report released in April, raised concerns about the state of Bibirioni Level 4 Hospital, Tigoni Hospital, Lari Level 4 Hospital and Ruiru Level 4 Hospital.