Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has dismissed claims that several National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF)-funded classroom projects in his constituency were structurally unsafe, insisting the concerns were politically driven and that all the affected buildings were later inspected and regularised by the NG-CDF Board.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation on Monday, the second-term lawmaker said the reports questioning the integrity of the classrooms were circulated by his political opponents during the last General Election and did not accurately reflect the status of the projects.
"Those were fake reports, you know, that were being perpetuated by my competitors, and they didn't understand the nature of that report," Barasa said.
The MP explained that the issue arose because construction of about five classroom projects had begun before formal approval was obtained from the NG-CDF Board, saying the schools urgently needed additional learning facilities.
"There were about five schools that we initiated construction without the approval of the National Government CDF. These schools were in dire need of construction," he said.
Barasa said that after he was re-elected, the NG-CDF Board carried out structural assessments on the buildings before formally taking over the projects, adding that the concerns raised at the time were addressed through that process.
"When we came back after re-election, the board had to ascertain the structural integrity of these buildings before they took them. All of that was sorted out," he said.
His remarks come after Citizen TV aired a report in January 2024 highlighting findings by the State Department for Public Works, which assessed several NG-CDF-funded classroom projects in Kimilili and recommended remedial action on a number of them over concerns about their structural soundness.
According to the report, 10 of the 12 schools inspected were found to require remedial work, while only Sango Baptist Primary School and Kamusinde RC Primary School were declared structurally sound.
The audit also found that two classrooms at Lutonyi Primary School and five classrooms at Chesamisi Primary School were unfit for occupation after concerns were raised by members of the public over the quality of construction. It concluded that contractors had failed to execute the projects to the required standards.
Barasa, however, maintained that the audit findings had been misrepresented for political gain, arguing that none of the buildings had collapsed or been declared unsafe for continued use.
"From that time to date, there is none of the building that has ever collapsed, and I don't think the Government of Kenya can allow a building that is not structurally healthy to continue being occupied," he said.
The legislator further argued that the presence of cracks on a building does not automatically mean it is unsafe, saying only qualified structural engineers are able to determine whether a classroom poses any danger.
"You may see a crack, but that crack may have nothing to do with the stability of the building. It's only a structural engineer who can carry out investigations and structural testing," he said, adding that engineers issue a "safe to occupy certificate" where a building is found to be structurally sound.
Barasa also accused his political rivals, including former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, of using the audit report to damage his reputation ahead of future political contests.
He further alleged that former UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala obtained internal constituency documents through a former constituency finance officer and used them to fuel the controversy surrounding the projects.
To support his position, the MP said he later invited Citizen TV to document completed NG-CDF projects across Kimilili, arguing that some of the schools that had initially been questioned were eventually showcased as completed development projects.
"They came, they documented everything, and they ascertained. If you check, it's there," he said.