Gatanga residents protest stalling of Sh1 billion road

Gatanga residents in Murang’a county are up in arms against a contractor building the 14.2km Ndiara-Kahunyo-Wanduhi road after works stalled.

The residents who held protests demanding resumption of works at the project, claimed that the contractor moved machineries from the site to another project he is undertaking within the county.

The road, that is expected to open up Gatanga villages and spur local economy, is being constructed by the government through the Kenya National Highways Authority at a cost of Sh1 billion.

The road is an extension of the Mau Mau road project that is traversing Kiambu, Murang’a and Nyeri counties and was expected to be complete by the end of this month but the work done is less than 70 per cent.

Residents said stalling of the road has subjected them to untold suffering, adding that the contractor left the site rendering the road impassable.

“We are privy to information that the contractor doing this project has several other similar projects across the county. It seems the work is overwhelming him. Transport within our villages has been curtailed because this road is impassable after excavation was done,”  Anthony Mbugua, a resident said.

They said their everyday activities have been affected by the road as they cannot transport their farm produce to markets within the region and especially Thika town. Most of the residents work in Thika and reside in the villages.

Residents also complained of the dust from the road saying they are worried they might start developing health problems including chest problems.

“We are also worried that our villages will be impenetrable when the long rains starts. We are pleading with the relevant authorities to intervene and ensure a speedy construction and completion of the project,” Margaret Muthoni said.

They called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and ensure his projects in the region are not sabotaged and are completed on time.

“We think that some people are out to undermine the President’s projects like this road due to the ongoing politics ahead of the general election. We urge our President to crack whip and ensure those mandated to deliver on these projects do so,” Martin Kiarie said.

However an official from the Gatanga CDF office who requested anonymity, said the road is being constructed in phases and that it will be done in a few months time.

Once complete, the road will be a Class B road, 6.5 meters wide with provision for pedestrian walkways. After improvement of the road to bitumen standards, drainage will be constructed and street lights erected to boost security.

It is expected to turnaround the region’s economy as farmers will easily access markets.

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.

-Edited by SKanyara