Busia leaders laud intervention on Busia- Malaba road

Busia leaders have lauded the National Government’s intervention on the stalled 30km Busia-Malaba road that was being repaired to revamp trade in the border region.

In December 2016, President Uhuru Kenyatta who was accompanied by his Deputy, William Ruto, on a tour of the county, said the upgrading of the 30-kilometre road to bitumen standard would take one-and-a-half years.

The condition of the road, which is about 50 per cent complete, had deteriorated in the wake of heavy rains in the region rendering the sections of the road impassable.

However, Ruto has given contractors tarmacking the road up to December to complete their work.

Speaking in Teso South where he commissioned the construction of Machakusi Girls Secondary School, the DP said a few challenges that stalled the exercise had since been sorted out.

“By December the residents of the County will take a few minutes from Malaba to Busia compared to the current situation when residents take many hours to reach Busia town,” he said.

Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong and his Deputy Moses Mulomi on Saturday expressed their gratitude to the DP over his myriad goodies to the locals and the assurance that the Busia-Malaba, Malaba-Kewalun roads will be completed by December 2019.

Speaking in Busia town on Saturday, Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi further urged the Deputy President to consider tarmacking the Machakusi-Nambale-Butula road to facilitate trade in the agriculture potential area.

The DP further stated that the first phase of the Sh1.1b African Development Bank Malaba water project will be commissioned in August and it will supply water to both Busia and Bungoma counties.

He also said the National Government will avail cotton seeds to Busia County farmers to enable them to plant cotton to cash in on the revival of Rivatex, adding that they have gotten a big market in China for cotton and other cash crops including macadamia, Avocado, coffee and tea.

Ruto said the government has pumped in Sh950m towards rural electrification in Busia County that will see over 25,000 more people benefit from Electricity to add onto 45,000.

Ruto revealed that the government had disbursed Sh70m each towards procurement of equipment at Okame, Chamasiri Technical Training Institutes and three other sub-counties.

Ruto donated Sh1m to kick start the construction of Machakusi Girls Secondary School and pledged a further Sh2m from the Ministry.

Ojaamong cited 20 secondary schools in Teso South which he helped construct while he was the MP and told the area MP Geoffrey Omuse to equip them.

H.E Ojaamong thanked Funyula MP Dr Oundo Mudenyo for soliciting Sh30m from the national government to help in the revival of Mulwanda Ginnery, and told other MPs to follow suit.

The DP in his visit was accompanied by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa and his Bumula counterpart Mwambu Mabonga.

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