By MN Reporter

The Migori county regional director of Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) Joshua Michoma has said operations at the office are beyond board.

This comes after a group of local contractors in an anonymous letter claimed the office and four county legislators have formed a cartel.

Michoma on a phone interview said their process on tendering and checking the quality of roads done is always above board on 15 per cent of Migori roads they cover.

In the letter, the contractors said the cartel are “paid 20-30 per cent,” as kickbacks.

“So far we have not received any complaint letter in our office from contractors or residents but our office is being audited after every six months and we have been clean,” Michoma said.

He said a letter of complaint must be signed, but insisted that the tendering process “has been very clean and we follow regulations, we are being audited every six months. Any complaint has a right channel.”

But Samuel Migore, the chairman of Migori Small Scale Traders Association said the letter and claims should be further investigated.

His sentiments was shared by Shem Were, the chairman of Migori county residents Association .

The two said the condition of roads in Migori have been deplorable.

“We have roads which end up in disrepair only months after completion this is because of cartels which are run by elected leaders who seek kickback. We need investigations at the offices mandated to maintain our roads in Migori,” Migore said.

Were said because of these cartels friendly contractors end up taking up many roads which they do shoddily “and because they have paid kickback the condition of the road is always poor.”