The era of the "cowboy contractor" is over. In a move that has sent shockwaves through the construction industry, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has declared a total war on stalled projects, announcing the immediate termination of contracts for over 500 dormant developments. The government, it seems, has finally found its teeth.

For years, unscrupulous contractors have treated government tenders as personal ATMs, securing billions in down payments only to abandon sites and vanish into the woodwork. The result? A landscape scarred by half-built bridges and roads leading to nowhere, representing a staggering Ksh 2 trillion in sunk costs. Chirchir’s directive is not just a policy shift; it is a crime scene cleanup.

"No More Excuses"

"We will no longer tolerate excuses," Chirchir thundered during an inspection of the Agolomuok–Otati–Kogore road. His tone was martial. The CS made it clear that the patience of the state has run out. Any contractor not on site, or any contractor moving at a snail's pace, will be kicked out, and their work reassigned to capable competitors.

This "purging of the rolls" is long overdue. Taxpayers are tired of seeing their hard-earned money evaporate into the pockets of tenderpreneurs who have no capacity—and no intention—of delivering. The Agolomuok road, like hundreds of others, has been a monument to inefficiency, causing untold suffering to residents who must navigate mud and gullies daily.

• The Blacklist Threat: Beyond termination, the government must move to blacklist these rogue entities. A contractor who fails to deliver a road in Kisumu should not be awarded a dam in Kitui the following week.
• The Legal Battlefield: Chirchir must prepare for the inevitable legal blowback. These cartels are litigious, and they will run to court to obtain injunctions. The state’s legal team must be as aggressive as its CS.
• The Credibility Test: This move is a litmus test for the Ruto administration's commitment to fiscal discipline. If Chirchir follows through, it will be a major win. If he blinks, it will be business as usual.

Stopping the Bleeding

The economic logic is sound. We cannot continue to borrow money to fund projects that never complete. By scrapping these "zombie contracts," the ministry can free up resources to fund projects that are actually moving. It is a painful but necessary surgery for a sector gangrenous with corruption.

Davis Chirchir has drawn a line in the sand. The contractors are on notice: shape up, or ship out. The public is watching, and for the first time in a long time, there is a glimmer of hope that the roads we paid for might actually get built.