Corruption on SGR, China Roads and Bridges Corporation (CRBC) has come clean on its expenditure during the construction of the Standard Guage Railways a day after damning reports by the Daily Nation.
In a statement published in the dailies on Thursday, February 27, the contractor charged with building the SGR explained that the expenditures reported by the daily might have been misrepresented.
“Our attention has been drawn to news articles published by the Daily Nation on 25 and 26 February 2020, with the headlines Pillars of Greed and Chinese SGR Staff, Lived Large at Kenyans’ Cost, claiming alleged misappropriation of funds and inflation in the Mombasa to Nairobi SGR Project,” the notice reads.
The SGR operators clarified the use of Ksh1 billion on the grass around SGR stations as had been affirmed by the Daily Nation.
“As per the applicable Railway and Road Design Standards, embarkment slopes should be protected by either grass or herringbone slope protection. This was to be done at the rate of Ksh360 per cubic meter (inclusive of top soiling, grassing and watering ).
“The cost of Ksh1 billion is relatively low compared to market rates for slope protection work,” the statement reads.
The company also weighed in on the claims that it had laid ballast at Ksh4,100 per cubic meter, which they indicated was relatively competitive globally given the cost of purchase, transport and laying it on the line.
They also clarified the claims that Ksh239 million was used to provide entertainment for Chinese expatriates, with the insistence was used to construct waiting lounges between all railway station buildings and terminals for use by passengers.
On the allegations that the head of the construction works was granted Ksh 5 million for airtime, they clarified that the airtime was to be shared amongst senior staff which included 44 Chinese and 151 Kenyan engineers for a period of three years.
They also explained that Ksh57 million used on office furniture and computers was used to furnish all engineers residences, their offices, and purchase of surveying equipment for the nine construction unit on the railway.
The SGR bosses also clarified that CRBC had commercials partnerships with over 100 local suppliers of materials, machinery and equipment and machinery and also 404 subcontractors in engineering.
They also clarified that the operation was not an all-Chinese affair as around 46,000 local jobs were created, and over 20,000 local staff employed as compared to only 2,247 Chinese workers on average.
CRBC further announced that there were other Kenyans undergoing further training locally and in China to fully comprehend the aspects of railway operations.
In addition to employing Kenyans, they also clarified that they had started several community projects along the railway line.