Senators launch probe into failure to operationalise trailer park in Busia

Senators have launched investigations into the failure to operationalise trailer park in Busia County which has the potential to decongest the town and generate up to Sh720 million annually.

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah raised concerns that despite allocations in county development plans, the Mundika and Malaba trailer parks have stalled with no clear completion timelines.

Omtatah said the situation worsened after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) took over the only functioning park during the one-stop border post construction but failed to provide an alternative, with the facility now lying idle.

“We have a 200-acre public land at Ngelechom, strategically positioned between Busia and Malaba on the border with Uganda that is idle, the continued inaction undermines transport efficiency, public safety and Kenya's commitments under regional trade corridors,” he said.

The Busia Senator now wants the Senate Roads and Transport committee to establish total cumulative budget allocation for the Mundika and Malaba trailer park projects since inception, broken down by financial year and verify how much has been disbursed and spent, including specific activities.

He asked the committee to obtain and review procurement records, contracts, variation orders and payment vouchers related to the stalled projects, and report on the actual physical works completed, supported by the latest engineers' progress reports and dated photographic evidence.

Omtatah said the oversight committee should also establish the rationale for pursuing the construction of two separate trailer parks and whether a feasibility or cost-benefit analysis was conducted comparing this approach to a single regional facility.

“The Committee should look at the impact of the stalled implementation on Kenya's obligations under the East African Community Transport Corridor Agreements and whether there are viable financial options, including county budget, Public-Private Partnerships or donor support for establishing a regional trailer park at Ng’elechom,” he said.

The Busia Senator wants to know whether an environmental and social impact assessment has been conducted for the Ngelechom site and the provision of an estimate of the capital cost required and the reasons why KeNHA has not fulfilled its commitment to construct a replacement trailer park for the one it took over.

Omtatah also questioned the stalled Busia Stadium earmarked as a flagship project under the Department of Sports, Culture and Social Services in the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2023/2027, with a budget of Sh600 million.

The senator argued that the project stalled and recent development plans under County Integrated Development 2018 to 2022 and 2023 to 2027 reflect no meaningful allocations or updates.

“The Senate Roads and Transportation Committee chaired by Migori Senator Eddy Oketch to establish how the Sh600 million budgeted for the project was allocated and released, the committee should indicate the specific financial years and obtain a detailed expenditure breakdown supported by certified payment certificates or audited statements,” said Omtatah.

He wants the committee to establish the current financial liability tied to the project, including any cost variations, reallocations or supplemental budgets and identify the approving authorities and their stated justifications.

Omtatah wants the committee to obtain documentation on all contractors, consultants and project managers engaged, including signed contracts, performance bonds, insurance details and verify whether the procurement process complied with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act.

The Busia Senator asked the committee to establish the percentage of work completed, whether an independent technical audit or an engineer's assessment has been conducted to ascertain the same and identify the factors that led to the project stalling.

“The Committee should investigate why subsequent annual development plans failed to allocate funds or report progress on the project, despite its flagship status. They should also determine whether the county assembly conducted site visits or demanded implementation reports,” said Omtatah.

He further wants the committee to identify any legal or disciplinary actions taken against non-performing contractors or negligent officials and obtain relevant documentation to support such actions and confirm whether a revised completion plan exists, including updated timelines, budget allocations and funding sources and assess its feasibility

Following anti-government protests in 2023, the original stadium was vandalized, and its perimeter wall was torn down with Governor Paul Otuoma's administration proposing relocation of the stadium to utilize the prime location for expanding the county referral hospital.