State Bets on KDF Company to Speedup Mega Projects

The State has approved the formation of a military construction company that will be tasked with the construction of roads and other infrastructure developments across the country.

In a move that will give the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) substantial control over Kenya’s infrastructure programme, the National Security Council has endorsed the creation of Ulinzi Construction Company, which is now preparing to begin operations.

“I am very proud that we finally have the Ulinzi Construction Company, which will enable the KDF to construct roads, bridges, and houses, especially in hard-to-reach areas of our nation,” President William Ruto said during KDF Day celebrations at Moi Barracks in Eldoret.

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The approval comes in the wake of KDF’s growing involvement in key infrastructure projects such as the rehabilitation of the Nairobi-Nanyuki and Nakuru-Kisumu railways.

Reduce the cost of projects

Proponents of the Ulinzi Construction Company have hailed its formation as revolutionary, saying it would reduce building costs while minimising the risk of misuse of public funds.

The development highlights the growing influence of the KDF in the country’s economic affairs after President Ruto appointed military personnel to run various State agencies in a move aimed at stopping the theft of public resources among civilian officials.

The KDF, for example, received approval from the Cabinet in October 2023 to undertake extensive renovations of the country’s top stadiums.

The project, whose budget was not made public, involved the renovation of Nyayo Stadium, Moi International Sports Complex, and Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.

“The military has very proficient engineers. They rehabilitated the railways at a fraction of what was quoted by the Chinese,” a State official, who did not wish to be named, told CK.

National Construction Company

It awaits to be seen whether Ulinzi Construction Company will see the light of day, or will suffer the same fate as the National Construction Company, which was proposed in 2015 as a subsidiary of the National Youth Service (NYS) to undertake infrastructure projects.

The company, which was expected to cut construction costs by up to 50% due to reduced labour and machinery costs, failed to materialise after the exposé of a multi-billion financial scandal at the NYS, which led to the resignation of a Cabinet Secretary.

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