The National Assembly's Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy has directed the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) to urgently finalize the Likoni Road Bridge project, which has stalled nearly three years past its planned completion date.

The lawmakers warned that continued delay was contributing to severe traffic congestion in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, negatively impacting businesses and daily commuters.

The directive was issued during a committee session held on Tuesday at Continental House, following a fact-finding visit to the construction site.

Committee Chairperson David Pkosing (Pokot South) expressed concern over the lack of cooperation between the two state agencies, which he said had derailed the project.

"Honourable Members, we were on the ground and saw firsthand the bottleneck caused by the standoff between these two agencies. I urge the leadership present today to urgently find a solution that leads to the immediate completion of this bridge," said Pkosing.

The bridge is part of the Nairobi Improvement Lot 2 initiative.

It was awarded on September 8, 2020, at a contract price of Sh892.6 million, with a completion deadline set for September 30, 2022.

The contract also included a 36-month maintenance clause valued at Sh13.2 million. However, work on the bridge remains unfinished.

The Committee’s visit identified coordination issues between KURA and KRC, dating back to the design stage. Legislators said this disconnect had created serious delays.

They called on the two bodies to work together and end the impasse.

"This matter cannot be brushed aside. As leaders, we have a duty to protect public interest and guarantee that projects are completed as planned," said Hon. Adan Keynan.

Other members echoed the same sentiments. Hon. Paul Katana suggested exploring project variation to enable completion, while Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris questioned why consultation was not done properly from the start.

MP Duncan Mathenge remarked, "This is a shared facility between KURA and KRC. Both institutions must come together and find the resources needed to complete it."

KURA Director General Eng. Silas Kinoti explained that changes were introduced after Kenya Railways requested higher bridge clearances.

KRC wanted the vertical clearance raised from 5.5 to 7.1 meters, and horizontal clearance from 8.5 to 11.25 meters.

"We understand the importance of this bridge in easing traffic congestion in the Industrial Area. A revised design that meets KRC’s requirements will be developed as a standalone package for future implementation," said Eng. Kinoti.

KRC Managing Director Phillip Mainga told the committee that the height changes were needed to accommodate electric train lines. He committed to co-financing the revised design.

"We need the bridge raised to 7.2 meters to allow for the installation of catenary electric lines. We’re committed to working closely with KURA to ensure the bridge is completed," said Mainga.

To address the deadlock, MP Pkosing issued two options: KURA could use existing resources to complete the bridge with proper approaches and drainage, or Kenya Railways could take over and lead in sourcing funds to meet the height requirement.