Residents of Kalamba, Makueni county, want Kyamela River bridge rebuilt. It was swept away by floods on Friday.
The residents said life has ground to a halt and travellers are stranded on the riverbanks.
The bridge connected Emali and Wote towns through Emali-Ukia road.
Local divers are charging up to Sh300 to carry people on their backs or shoulders across the river.
Kalamba MCA Justus Masesi urged leaders to fulfil their promise to tarmac Emali-Ukia road, which has been damaged by the rains.
"We have been stranded here for almost two days now. Our women and children are suffering from hunger because we cannot access our local market, which is on the other side of the river. We need urgent help," he said.
Residents have threatened to demonstrate if the bridge is not rebuilt soon.
Makueni MP Dan Maanzo visited the residents last Thursday and said the assembly had set aside Sh15 billion in the supplementary budget to repair the road.
He said the road will be tarmacked and urged residents to remain calm.
Dennis Mutua, a local diver, said leaders promise to tarmac Emali-Ukia road during their campaigns but they never deliver.
Operations at the area's mango processing plant have been hampered as farmers are unable to transport fruits. Crops have been swept away as well.
Maanzo urged the residents to take advantage of the ongoing rains to plant trees instead of cutting them.
He urged the Makueni county commissioner to reward the youth who rescued the 40 Lukenya University students on Friday.
The bus the students were travelling was swept away by the swollen river but the students were rescued.
"I urge the county commissioner to take names of the youth who helped in rescuing the 40 Lukenya students. They should be given a head of state commendation as a way of recognising their efforts," Maanzo said.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya
