- On September 8, 2014, former President Uhuru Kenyatta had shoes thrown at his dias by angry youths when he came to officially launch the road.
- Residents said in 1988 former area MP Ocholla Ogur had to petition ex-President Daniel Moi to build a bridge along the road.
Image: FILE
Migori residents have asked President William Ruto to ensure the tarmacking of the Migori-Muhuru Bay Road is completed in his tenure.
On September 8, 2014, former President Uhuru Kenyatta had shoes thrown at his dias by angry youths in Migori town when he came to officially launch the tarmacking of Muhuru Bay-Migori-Kehancha-Lolgorian C13 road.
The first phase of the road was meant to start from Muhuru Bay to Migori town covering 53 kilometres, but after the infamous incident, it stalled at Masara centre.
The remaining 31 kilometers have been left unattended since as the progress of the road, started under the Grand Coalition government of former President Mwai Kibaki and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
“Ever since the road has been left unattended or maintenance on the road done poorly, but recently a bridge at Ratieny was swept away,” Daniel Awino, the chairman of Migori-Muhuru Bay Matatu Association said.
A contractor who was contracted by Kenya National Highway Authority for routine maintenance and spot improvement of the road and work on a new bridge and diversion also stopped.
Awino said road users are now forced to use longer ten kilometres of road through people’s farms and pathways which has been made worse by the onset of rains.
“Before farm owners used to ask for tolls, after rains they ploughed their lands and we have been forced to travel further sometimes into Tanzania routes to access the two towns,” he said.
Justus Peter, a driver in the route said business has been greatly affected as lorries and trucks have stopped transporting goods and fish from Lake Victoria have been affected.
In November 2018, then Deputy President William Ruto launched the road again at the Nyabisawa strip despite the section from Masara not being completed.
Odiso Ogenga, Nyatike constituency politician said in the past after complaints from residents the road was upgraded from C13 to B1 because it was part of Lake Victoria ring road and is connecting Kenya and Tanzania.
“The road has not been completed, as residents each time we ask for its completion other selfish leaders from the county have been pushing us aside as newer roads have been launched,” he said.
Residents said in 1988 former area MP Ocholla Ogur had to petition ex-President Daniel Moi to build a bridge along the road after several reported deaths making it’s completion a dream.
“A dream that one day a tarmac road will reach Muhuru Bay was born since then, we still hope it will be realised as the new route we have to follow to Olasi centre towards Tanzania is painful, we are also Kenyans,” Ogenga said.
Seven days ago during the launch of the inaugural commercial flight in Migori town, Governor Ochillo Ayacko asked Transport and Road Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to ensure the road was completed.
Ayacko said the road has been at the centre of the county and national politics and challenged Murkomen to ensure that it is in his tenure that the road is completed.
“The road is part of Lake Victoria ring road and was meant to make it shorter for residents to access Nairobi through Trans Mara and Narok,” Murkomen said.
He said the completion of the road including the Migori-Masara-Sori Bay which is also at Lake Victoria will be prioritised.