KUMAKA, REGION ONE — Anger is boiling over in this remote river community as the long-promised $1.9 billion Kumaka Stelling project remains unfinished, despite its April 2025 deadline having come and gone. Now, residents say the country is paying a high price for poor oversight, after reports surfaced that piles have collapsed and construction crews are battling “bedrock issues” that were supposed to be resolved months ago.
On Sunday, APNU Prime Ministerial Candidate Juretha Fernandes stood on the half-finished structure, telling residents what many had been whispering for weeks: the project has become another glaring symbol of government waste.
“This is not just about a stelling that’s late — it’s about billions of dollars that could have gone into real help for families,” Fernandes told the small gathering. “Money like this could have lowered transport costs, fixed our schools, and made basic goods affordable. Instead, it’s stuck here in a project that’s sinking — literally.”
Fernandes drew parallels to other recent disasters in Region One, including a section of the Port Kaituma wharf that collapsed into the river and problems at the Morawhanna stelling. She said the pattern is “too big to ignore” and shows a deeper issue with how public funds are being managed.
During her tour of the region, she said the complaints have been the same from village to village: rising food and fuel prices, crumbling infrastructure, and slow delivery of basic services.
Promising a new approach, Fernandes vowed that an APNU-led administration would demand transparency in infrastructure contracts, hold contractors accountable, and guarantee projects are completed on time and built to last.
“It’s about priorities,” she told supporters. “For us, it’s the people first — not the pockets of friends, family, and favourites.”
