Garissa County Development Implementation and Coordination Committee (CDICC) Chairman Mr. Boaz Cherutich has warned landowners and developers against encroaching on road reserves.
Speaking after an inspection tour of several roads under construction within Garissa town, Cherutich who is the area County Commissioner urged those who have raised structures on road reserves to remove them to allow smooth completion of the roads works.
“We urge the residents to cooperate with the contractors working on these roads. Let us avoid making this work hard by invading land reserved for the roads,” Cherutich said.
“There is no component for compensation on these roads because there is a survey on where each road is supposed to be and that is what the contactors will follow,” he added.
Cherutich said that the committee in conjunction with the county government would recommend that, in future, houses and structures on road reserved be demolished without notices.
He said the construction of the roads will ease movement of security officers to patrol and improve security in the area.
“These are good government projects aimed at benefiting the citizens. The roads will enable our children to access schools faster and enable police officers to patrol the town,” he said
Kenya Rural Roads Authority County Director Eng Patrick Ringera echoed the County Commissioner’s sentiments saying encroaching on the roads denies enough width to accommodate both the traffic and pedestrian walkways.
“Some developers are rushing ahead of the project to put up structures within the road corridor which is not assisting us. We are asking them to desist,” Ringera said.
He further asked other institutions like the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) and water department to liaise with road authorities on the extent of the road reserve before putting up power poles, sewerage and water pipes to avoid relocations in future.
Among the projects inspected is the upgrading to bitumen of Bulla Madina- Sankuri- KenGen and access roads, Construction of 1.5 km county road, 1.3 km Kaburi road estimated to cost Sh 480 million.
Other projects the committee members toured include the last mile connectivity Garissa town water supply and sewerage infrastructure.
By Erick Kyalo and Jacob Songok
