From Smart Town To Leasing Programs, Infrastructure Department 2021 Reviews Are Spot On
One of the key achievements in 2021 for this department is the actualization of Ol-Jabet Smart Town. The project started by Wan Wan Contractors on Tuesday, April 12, 2021, and by the end of the year tarmacking has already started. It involves the construction of a tarmac carriageway of at least 3.6 kilometers of Asphalt concrete driveways and cobblestone walkways extending to 1.2km. There is also a construction of a drainage system which includes open and closed drainage and culverts.
The town will be lit with at least 30 street lights to increase the hours for running a business. Street lighting also improves the security of a place and parking space to hold at least 100 vehicles.
The bus park outlook will be Asphalt-paved with clearly marked bus park bays to accommodate the many cars from various SACCOs.
The department is planting approximately 6500m 3 of grass and small trees. The aim is to improve the town's beauty while conserving the environment.
Leasing Programme
Leasing program has facilitated in faster upgrading and opening up of roads in the year 2021, compared to the normal contracting. In December 2021, the department announced that through the leasing program the department graded 2.4 times and Gravelled 1.5 times as much in two years than in three years with contracted work.
- Contracted Km - 583.9 (Graded) -- 370.35Km (Graveled) - Three Years.
- Leasing Km - 1,441.44 (Graded) - 566.08 Km (Graveled) - Two Years, One Month.
The leasing program also facilitated control of quality due to full-time supervision by its own dedicated staff unlike contracted roads like attaining the required width and thickness of roads.
The department also achieved cost-saving especially on purchase of gravel since inception is Kshs. 27,190,107. Through a partnership with locals, the department gets gravel from the nearby residents, and they in turn drills water pans in the mutual benefit.
A total of 49 farmers benefitted from water pans after gravel excavation on farms, thus providing them with water for production. Of these, nine water pans are self-generating while 40, are reservoirs for stormwater collection.
Through a Public-Private Partnership with Ol-Pajeta conservancy to graveling of 12Km was achieved which resulted to a resource mobilization of 803 Equipment hours.
Turnaround time though the leasing program is three months of procurement work totally eliminated in leasing , unlike contracted roads. The average time taken to complete 1km of road is 5-6 days.
Reconstruction of Houses in Ol Moran
This involved reconstruction of 29 houses, of which three are currently under construction. Production of 50,000 blocks for the project is ongoing. There are 13 persons employed per day with 15,800 blocks produced so far.
In Land reforms, the department reported that planning of ten urban centers is 25 percent done, a notice of completion of preparation of Rumuruti municipality plan is 90 percent done. Also, the establishment of Laikipia County Physical and Land Use Planning Liaison Committee is complete. Preparation of the County Spatial Plan is 45 percent complete and digitization of cadaster (Registry Index Maps) and PDP Database is 55 percent done.
