- The road is being tarmacked by the government through the Kenya National Highways Authority.
- According to constituency projects coordinator Peter Kariuki, the road is expected to be complete by March next year.
Image: John Kamau
Image: John Kamau
The much-awaited tarmacking of 14.2km Ndiara-Kahunyo-Wanduhi road in Gatanga at a cost of Sh1 billion has begun.
The road is being tarmacked by the government through the Kenya National Highways Authority.
According to constituency projects coordinator Peter Kariuki, the road, which is an extension of the Mau Mau road traversing through Kiambu, Murang’a and Nyeri counties, is expected to be complete by March next year.
He noted that the contractor has already pegged the road corridor and that excavation works are underway.
Kariuki said the road will be a Class B road, 6.5-metre wide, with provision for walkways, adding that after improvement of the road to bitumen standards, drainage will be constructed and street lights erected to boost security.
He said completion of the road will end the suffering of residents in Ndiara, Nagara, Kahunyo, Wanduhi and Ndakaini villages due to the deplorable state of the road.
“This road is used by thousands of residents who have been suffering for long. Residents who are mostly farmers have been finding it difficult to access markets to sell their produce forcing them to sell to brokers at a throwaway price,” Kariuki said.
The coordinator said residents are upbeat that the road will turn around the region’s economy once complete, saying they will access markets to trade their farm produce with ease.
“The road will also ease transport and trade between Murang’a, Nyandarua and Kiambu counties because it will link with the Gatura-Njabini road. It will spur our region’s economy,” he said.
Residents, who spoke to the Star, welcomed the project saying it is a godsend and will end their suffering and boost the region’s economy significantly.
“God has answered our prayers as this road has been tarmacked. It will ease transport and bring more developments to our villages. Also, this project will help raise the value of our land making them fetch better prices,” Susan Njoki, a resident, said.
The residents, however, called on the road contractor to stop encroaching on their land saying he has already brought down fences, gates and other properties which are not on the road.
“We plead with the contractor to stop damaging our properties while doing excavation work. He has brought down fences and gates thus exposing many homesteads. He should be considerate while doing his work,” Lewis Maina, a resident, said.
The residents also urged the contractor to give them ample time to remove structures erected on the road.
But the constituency coordinator told residents to hastily remove properties erected on the road as agreed at a public participation meeting in February this year saying they will delay the works and completion of the crucial project.
“We don’t want delays in this project. We want it completed on the scheduled time for our own benefit and therefore anyone who has erected structures on the road corridor should pull them down or else they will be brought down at their own cost,” Kariuki said.
Kariuki said Gatanga has witnessed massive developments under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration especially road infrastructure and water provision.
Other road projects the constituency has so far received under Uhuru’s administration including the Sh3 billion Gatura-Njabini road, Mau Mau Lot roads in Murang’a worth Sh6 billion, Jogoo-Kirwara road (Sh1 billion) and Kiunyu-Thuita-Gitiri road tarmacked at a cost of Sh1 billion.
Water projects he stated include the Sh2.5 billion Ithanga water project in lower Gatanga that will provide clean domestic water to the semi-arid parts of the constituency and the Sh300 million Gatanga water project.
“We are also expecting Sh800 million to connect water to all lower Gatanga homes. These projects have transformed our region and have greatly impacted the livelihoods of our people,” he said.
-Edited by SKanyara
