The traders said the President pledged to have the road done after re-election.
They said the road causes people to keep off Maragua town, adversely affecting their businesses.
They said the road has become an object of campaigns .
Residents of Maragua want the government to fulfil its pledge of repairing a key road in the town that has been in a poor state for many years.
They said President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William made the pledge in 2017 when they were campaigning for the general election. However, no work has been done on the road.
It has huge potholes and many residents prefer to keep off the road to avoid damaging the road. Maragua town is slightly off the Murang’a-Kenol road, and residents have to divert from the road to get into the town.
Traders say the poor state of the road is running their businesses down due to the decreased traffic.
Mary Waithera, who sells foodstuffs in Maragua market, and says she struggles to transport the produce into the town.
She said previously, matatus plying the Murang’a-Kenol route would drop them off in the town before the state of the road deteriorated.
“Now they drop us off at Maragua police station along the Murang’a-Kenol road. We have to use bodda bodas to ferry our wares into Maragua town. A lot of the produce goes to waste,” Waithera said.
She said during the campaign period, Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia was instructed by the President to make the road.
Waithera appealed to the CS to make an inspection tour of the road and ensure it is rehabilitated to make their lives better.
“We pay taxes like other Kenyans. Why are we not getting value for it?” She asked.
Another trader, Maryanne Njoki Macharia, said the poor state of the road has made the business environment difficult.
Njoki said their businesses are doing poorly because more people are keeping off off the town.
She said, previously she used to make up to Sh2,000 every day when she sold fruits to passengers in matatus. But now Njoki said she is struggling to pay school fees for her children and they are sent away from school because of arrears.
Lameck Muiruri said businesses are closing down and residents are frustrated with the government they voted for in 2017.
“Leaders keep lying to us that the road will be made. The President should know his people are letting him down and their actions are making it very hard for small-scale traders to make a living,” he said.
Muiruri said the road has become an object of campaigns and that leaders may be waiting for the next election to use it to get their votes.
Another resident Gideon Muriithi said no leader will be allowed to campaign in the town if the road will not be rehabilitated before the next election.
Residents got temporary relief after Ichagaki MCA Charles Mwangi filled up the potholes.
The MCA said businesses in the town have been hard hit by the state of the road. He said boda boda riders use most of their earnings to repair their motorcycles.
“It is why I decided to fill up the potholes with the help of well-wishers. The government needs to re-carpet the road urgently,” he said.
The MCA said he will petition Parliament to find out if funds to rehabilitate the road were issued, if yes, what happened to it.