- Demonstrators blocked a section of the road near Mwea police station using bananas and branches and accused area MP Elijah Njoroge properly known as Kururia as well as the contractor of inaction.
- The residents lit fires and barricaded the road with rocks, causing traffic to grind to a halt.
Image: COURTESY OF GITAU WANYOIKE
Residents of Gatundu North in Kiambu County held demonstrations over the poor state of the Thika-Magumu road.
Demonstrators blocked a section of the road near Mwea police station using bananas and branches and accused area MP Elijah Njoroge properly known as Kururia as well as the contractor of inaction.
The residents lit fires and barricaded the road with rocks, causing traffic to grind to a halt.
Residents said that road has been rendered impassable by the heavy rains that have been pounding the region and this has become difficult for the sick, transporters, and farmers to use the road.
According to Resident Mwaniki wa Mwangi, the Thika-Magumu road has been impassable and this prompted them to hold demonstrations.
He urged both County and national governments to work together and solve the stalemate.
“We are urging the local leadership to push for the road to be repaired or we will continue to protest,” he said.
The residents claimed that the construction of the 68 km road began four years ago and everything has stopped letting locals suffer especially during the rainy season.
The Thika-Magumu road is a major link between Kiambu, Nyandarua, and Murang’a Counties, passing through Thika town, Mang’u, Kamwangi, Kanyoni, Kanjuku, Gakoe, Kirasha, and Magumu.
“The Construction works began in August 2020, with the project set for completion in December 2021, and to date, nothing has been done, we need to know what is happening or what happened for the project to stop,” Mwaniki said.
Resident hoped that the road would open up the region and boosts its economy but those dreams have turned into a nightmare.
Matatu operators and motorcycle riders lamented that they have been incurring huge losses in repairs for damages occasioned by the deplorable state of the road.
This isn’t the first time the residents of Gatundu North demonstrate the poor state of infrastructure.
In 2019, residents protested against the stalling of construction works on the Sh1.5 billion Gatukuyu-Kairi-Mataara road.
Carrying twigs and placards, irate residents barricaded the road at Igamba village with boulders and planted bananas in protest.
Speaking to Star, Kiamwangi MCA in Gatundu South Kung’u Smart has called on the ministry of roads to liaise with County governments to ensure that all weathered roads are rehabilitated to ensure smooth movement.
He noted that the national government should have working formulae by working with community representatives to ensure services are rendered well.
“I would like to call both national and county government to work as a unit to ensure proper service delivery, “he said.