Eastern Regional Commissioner (RC) Jacob Ouma Muganda has given a contractor a four-week ultimatum to start works at the Wote Modern Market and construction of hostels at Wote Technical Training Institute (WTTI) or risk unspecified dire consequences from the government.

Muganda issued the directive in Wote town in Makueni Sub-county on Thursday during an inspection tour of various government projects being implemented in Makueni County.

The administrator noted that the delay in initiating the projects was sabotaging President William Ruto’s core initiatives that he intends to commission by early next year.

RC Muganda said contractors should always take keen interest in completing the projects on schedule to avoid making unnecessary extensions that lead to increased costs of the project.

“In four weeks from today, if I find this confusion, the contractor will face dire consequences from the government,” Muganda warned.

“We cannot take things casually. There is a problem at the market and hostels. We are not here to joke but to ensure things are done in the right way. Projects that are at the core of the President and the government at large must be completed without fail,” he stated.

The Wote market construction is set to cost over Sh347 million, commenced on 7th April, 2026, and was to be completed in one year. 22 weeks out of 52 have elapsed, and the foundation is yet to be built; as a result, the project will be delayed.

Currently, the traders who were moved out of the market are working from a road that was closed within Wote town to accommodate them during the period the market was under construction.

Construction of hostels at WTTI was earmarked to cost over Sh143 million; the site was handed over in October last year but works commenced on 27th April 2026, and to date the foundation has not been laid.

“Work done is at 9 percent for the hostels, while progress for the market is only 10 percent,” he noted.

Speaking on the anticipated El Niño, the RC assured Wananchi in Makueni that the government has put in place measures besides sensitising Wananchi on the need to take precautions during the heavy rains, especially in the areas prone to flooding.

Among the measures that the government has planned include the provision of food and non-food stuff that may be required in the event people are displaced.

“This is an issue that involves the national and county governments. So, there are plans to ensure that transport, security, food, medicine and other things are available as may be needed by Wananchi,” he said.

During the inspection tour of Makueni County, Muganda visited the affordable housing site, markets and construction of hostels in Wote and Makindu towns. The entourage also inspected the tarmacking of Emali-Ukia Road and the Mikiyu bridge.

The RC was accompanied by the Eastern Region Security Committee members, Eastern Region Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) Director Mr Duncan Mwariri and his Lower Eastern counterpart Loice Shuma, Makueni County Commissioner (CC) Khalif Abdullahi and his security team and other national government departmental heads.

By Patrick Nyakundi