Relief for residents as Garissa-Madogo road is repaired

Residents and motorists using the Garissa-Madogo road can now breathe easy after the Kenya National Highway Authority concluded repair of the Kona Punda section that was washed away by floods.

On Wednesday, excited pedestrians and motorists could not hide their joy as KeNHA opened the road for use. 

A spot check on Thursday showed that both pedestrians and vehicles have resumed use of the road.

The repair brings to an end the month-long suffering that saw Garissa town and the region at large cut of from the rest of the country.

The road that is the gate way to North Eastern was destroyed by flash floods after River Tana burst it's banks.

The road repair that commenced on Thursday last week saw engineers and officials from KeNHA work round the clock to complete the works.

Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo had on Friday last week called on residents to be patient and give the engineers time to fix the road projecting that would take them at least five days

Speaking at the site moments after opening the road for use, a KeNHA official who did not wish to be named said while they were happy to have completed the job on time, he said it was a temporary measure.

"As you can see all we have done is move with speed and completed the repair so that people can start using the road," he said.

He added: "But a permanent solution lies in the construction of a bridge. the good thing is that funds have already been set aside for the  project which has already commenced."

Abdi Mohamed a manager with Earth plane buses that ply the Garissa_ Nairobi route said the completion of the repair works brings to an end the month-long suffering people using the road have had to go through.

He said bus companies have incurred losses amounting to millions for the last one month.

"I might not be in a position to exactly tell you how much the transport sector has lost since the road was cut off but it amounts to millions," he said.

He remained optimistic that the government will keep it's word and construct the bridge that will be a long term solution to the problem.

“Infrastructure is  key for any country that wishes to develop. Failure to invest in the same is disastrous. You have seen how we have been affected and almost everything came to a standstill,” he said.

 Joshua Mwanzia a casual labourer who mostly works in Garissa but lives in the neighbouring Madogo, said the one month has been tough for him and his family.

He said things were made difficult when the speed boats started charging Sh200 one way. "This meant that I had to have at least 500 to and from," he said.

Mwanzia said he could not afford this amounts since he is paid Sh700 in a day.

"My wife runs a food kiosk, so proceeds from her business is what has kept us going for that period. otherwise it could have been difficult to navigate through," he said.

"I don't want to be found flat footed again. I will move to Garissa with my family  soon. Remember we will have the October- December rains and the same thing (flash floods) will happen. And you can see it's like the river has changed its course meaning this place will be flooded again," said Hamorey Mwangi a boda boda rider.

Those interviewed called on the government to find a lasting solution to the perennial flood menace.

Deputy president Rigathi Gachagua had two weeks ago acknowledged that floods had caused huge damage to infrastructure not only in Garissa but across the country.

Gachagua spoke at Hyuga Primary School during his visit to families displaced by floods while in the company of several CSs among them Kipchumba Murkomen (transport), Davis Chirchir (Energy) and Aden Duale (defense).

The DP who also assessed the Tana River bridge, which perennially floods whenever it rains and hinders transport on the major highway, further revealed plans to invest Sh1.2 billion to construct a new bridge along the Garissa-Nairobi highway.