The roaring sound of an excavator engine awakened the sleepy Mtalimbonyi village in Taita Taveta's Wundanyi subcounty on Tuesday.
The loud guest paved an access road to the historic Kenyatta Caves, opening the region up to tourists. It also created a route to Vuria Hill, the highest point in the Coast region at 2,228 metres above sea level.
“For the last 59 years, Mwangea Primary school has never had a road that can be accessed by vehicles. All materials to and from the school are transported on the head from the main road,” Mama Susan Wachenje told Governor Granton Samboja when he went to commission the road.
It was the first time the governor was setting foot in the village.
“This road is very important to our livelihoods both socially and economically. The area has been neglected for decades but finally, the much-awaited road has come,” Wachenje, a retired teacher said.
Farmer Charles Mwakio said they had difficulties in transporting their produce to the market, but the road will help boost food production in the agriculture-rich area.
“Farmers can easily transport our goods to the market not forgetting our children who have cars can now drive them to their homes unlike before when they had to leave them at the nearby town and walk home,” he said.
Equally, he said, constructing a house has been very expensive owing to the high cost of transporting materials.
Governor Samboja assured residents that the excavated road will be graded to withstand erosion from heavy downpours.
He said the Transport department had started rehabilitating all roads that had been washed away by heavy March rains.
“We will make sure this road is done well so that you will no longer break your backs when transporting goods. We will expand the road, grade and improve drainage along the road so that it is accessible at all times,” Samboja said.
The county government, he said, has achieved the value for money. He said his administration is now focusing on grading county roads to make them passable at all times.
Not far from Mwangea, the Ngulu-Mtalo-Mwakishimba road has also been graded.
"This road is very important to farmers from this area. It will improve transport of their farm inputs and produce thus boosting their economies," Ngulu resident Ismael Nyambu said.
The ongoing works for improvement include expansion, slabbing and culverting.
Other roads set to open up the region include Mbaramghondi-Ndumbinyi road that is under formation, Mnamu Laghonyi road in Bura.
The Ndumbinyi Mbaramghondi road will serve as a shortcut to Mwanda.
Transport executive Gasper Kabaka said grading of the roads will make them accessible in all seasons.
Kabaka said improving road networks will play a vital role in the well-being of the people both socially and economically.
“Good road networks play a major role in the economic development of our county by linking producers to markets, workers to jobs, students to school, and the sick to hospitals,” he said.
Edited by R.Wamochie
