The Okonda bridge in Vihiga county had developed a reputation of being a place where uncountable lives were lost.
Before it was finally fixed, many families in Ebukhubi sublocation and other neighbouring communities like Ebukhaya and Ebulong had lost hope of its redemption.
The bridge had been a thorn in the flesh of the communities before and after Independence.
Schoolchildren and the elderly have been among the biggest victims.
The situation would deteriorate during the rainy season, with efforts to call for help from the administration landing on deaf ears.
Residents, led by Lusiana Alukonya and David Opondo, said as a community, they had lost hope in both the county government and national government over the restoration of the Okonda bridge.
Alukonya said for the last 30 years she has been married there, the bridge has been hectic to them.
“We have been trying our best to seek help from leaders but nobody came to our side to hear our cry,” she said.
She said their pleas have been ignored despite more than 15 people losing their lives on that killer bridge.
Opondo said most people who have lost lives on that bridge were schoolchildren.
The Okonda river was termed as one of the risky places during the rainy seasons based on the state of the bridge in the area.
In my 23 years of service as the area assistant chief and now that I have been promoted to the chief, this Okonda bridge has been a disaster to many people
ADMINISTRATOR'S TESTIMONY
Ebulonga chief Evance Ohuya said most parents were forced to accompany their children all the way to school on the long routes during the rainy seasons to avoid disasters.
"In my 23 years of service as the area assistant chief and now that I have been promoted to the chief, this Okonda bridge has been a disaster to many people," Ohuya said.
“We even had the village elder that lost his life on that bridge.”
Ohuya said the bridge has been a big obstacle to the locals in terms of transport and economy-wise as most feared losing their lives on the killer bridge.
The chief said efforts to reach National Government -Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) was a mission impossible at a time the area was under Emuhaya constituency.
"As an administrator, I tried my best to reach the political class for help. I even tried to reach the national government in vain," he said.
He said residents tried to reach the then MPs Sheldon Muchilwa, Kenneth Marende, Wilber Ottichilo and Christopher Omulele, but it didn't work.
“Locals never gave up fighting for the construction of the bridge,” Ohuya said.
“In the 2007-08 by elections, when Wilber Ottichilo took over as the MP, a delegation went to his office over the same bridge, but nothing came of it.
“In 2009-10, when the boundary review was done, Emuhaya constituency was split into two, leading to the rebirth of Luanda constituency. We hoped the new MP will consider our cry but it never worked for the community.”
The 40-feet wide river cuts across Vihiga county from the Maragoli hills all the way to joining River Yalla on the edge of Kakamega county and Siaya county.
COMMUNITY SIDELINED
Ohuya said it's only the MCA who tried to help the locals by placing logs on that bridge to help the community to pass and the schoolchildren as well.
"In most cases, the MCA was the only leader we had who was mobilising the residents to restore the bridge after being swept away during heavy rains," he said.
"The community around had to work hand in hand with him him as they were the immediate beneficiaries of the bridge."
Ohuya said even in those days when calamities used to hit the community via that bridge, no leader came to their aid apart from the MCA.
He said the political wing from the MP's side never valued the area and even getting any aid was a challenge.
"Even just sending Sh5,000 or the Sh10,000 via their representative as they are used to in Ebukhubi sublocation, that never happened," he said.
He said the bridge has been claiming at least two lives on a yearly basis during the rainy seasons.
Its state led to a poor connection of Ebukhaya, Ebukhubi and Ebulonga communities, which hindered their economic status.
"Road network is very important. If it's not well done, we can't do business with other communities," Ohuya said.
He said when the current MP came in to build the bridge, it was like a dream to them after all those years of pleading.
UNITY MOTIVE
The dark days are now a thing of the past after the bridge was fixed.
Current MP Dick Maungu said he acted on public demand after the bridge claimed 18 lives in 10 years.
“Under my watch, I wasn’t ready to watch people lose more lives in that area when I have the capacity to fix the mess,” he said.
Speaking to Star on the phone from Nairobi, he said he was keen to ensure the killer bridge turned into a lifesaver.
“The bridge connects Luanda and Emuhaya constituency and the great community of Abasiratsi in the two subcounties,” he said.
The lawmaker said when Kenya attained its freedom from the colonial masters, many believed it was a reprieve to them being led by their fellow blacks, who would listen to their grievances compared to the whites.
However, more than 50 years down the line, residents of Ebukhubi sublocation in Luanda constituency were left on their own, with no help or support from the government to deal with the bridge.
Maungu said the killer bridge can fix the ailing local economy and reunite the long-time separated communities in the area.
“The residents can transport their goods either to Irumbi or Khusikulu market, which initially they were unable to do,” the MP said.
Other bridges on the radar of construction include Osena bridge and Musitinyi bridge in Wemilabi ward.
In Emabungo, the MP has completed Eliangoma bridge, while Mwilulu bridge is currently in the final stages.
The MP said in the south, they have done Amwabia bridge in this financial year.
"We are currently planning to do the desert bridge and Afri bridge in Township," he said.
The lawmaker said once the area has a sober road network, it will enable the transportation of goods from one point to another.
"It will even enable people to travel safely while doing their business," he said.
Lusiana Alukonya, a resident, said since the bridge was fixed, it has opened up the community to surrounding markets.
VANDALISM THREAT
Maungu urged scrap metal dealers to stop vandalising the grills along the bridges, saying they are specifically set as life protectors.
The MP said scrap dealers have remained the biggest challenge across the country in terms of vandalising government properties that are meant to help many Kenyans.
"We stand a better chance to fix our bridges within, but scrap dealers remain a challenge to us by destroying them,” he said.
Anumber of bridges in Luanda constituency face the wrath of scrap metal dealers, who have been on a mission to cut the grills off to the market.
Such vandalism led to the government to suspend scrap metal businesses for a while.
The measure by President Uhuru Kenyatta forced the Scrap Metal Council (SMC) to come up with a new inspectorate that was dispatched to various counties to help in monitoring the activities.
The SMC in their statement said their team would be working closely with security agents to ensure all dealers meet their requirements as speculated in the law.
"We are notifying all those trading in scrap metal without licences that they risk being arrested and have their businesses closed as they face prosecution," SMC chair Francis Mugo said.
Peter Wafula of the Battery Manufacturers Association recently said, “People are smuggling scrap metals as if there is no law. The council should move in and cancel licences of those involved.”
Dealers have said that smuggling of scrap materials, especially used batteries, has been rampant in the recent past.
A few dealers in Luanda town said since the ban last year and the crackdown by Kenya Railways on some dealers, vandalism has reduced.
They said the rate was totally alarming with Kenya Railways and Kenya Power especially being victimised.
Statistics show that Kenya exported about 17, 874 tonnes of scrap metals worth Sh5.9 billion in 2021 and 12,722 metric tonnes of scrap metals worth worth Sh4.5 billion in 2022.
The Ministry of Energy and its agencies have been the most affected, with its key critical infrastructure being the targets.
