The government has completed the construction of a crucial bridge that connects Ngoliba and Soya villages in Kiambu and Murang’a counties.
The bridge was constructed by the government through the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) in partnership with the Thika Town Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) for Sh25 million.
Thousands of residents from the two counties have been suffering since the bridge collapsed in December 2020.
The bailey bridge can support a seven-tonne truck. It is expected to boost inter-county trade as farmers will easily access markets in the two regions as well as other counties including Machakos and Kitui.
Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina said on Wednesday that 10 kilometres on each side of the bridge have been gravelled to ease movement.
“We are highly optimistic that this bridge will promote business and spur growth in this region due to eased accessibility. We are still lobbying for more funds to have the road linking the two villages improved to bitumen standards,” he said when he commissioned the bridge.
The MP said the collapsing of the bridge dealt a huge blow to the region’s economy since transport was disrupted and farmers could not take their produce to the market.
“Even schoolchildren had a rough time crossing the river using canoes at a cost of between Sh30 and Sh50. Workers in firms like Kakuzi in Murang’a who reside in Ngoliba used to trek for long distances to their workplaces. All this suffering has come to an end,” Wainaina said.
Residents welcomed the project, terming it as a shot-in-the-arm that will ease movement and boost the economy in the two counties.
“We have farms in Soya village but we reside in Ngoliba. We have been travelling for a distance of not less than 15km to access our farms and spend at least Sh500 on boda bodas. This bridge has cut the distance to a kilometre,” resident Phyllis Mumo said.
Resident Margaret Waithera said parents were always apprehensive about the safety of their children's who had to cross the dangerous river on canoes to go to school.
“We risked our lives crossing the river, especially when the river is swollen. We thank God for this project,” she said.
MP Wainaina said there are plans to construct a similar bridge across the River Athi in Ngoliba to serve residents who commute between Machakos and Ngoliba in Kiambu county.
There have been incidents of residents drowning while trying to cross the river.
“I plead with residents to be patient as we lobby for funds to instal a bridge across River Athi. This will bring to an end the suffering of residents trying to cross the river,” Wainaina said.
Edited by A.N
