Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) has decried massive vandalization of road signages put along the Narok-Maai Mahiu-Mulot highway, thus posing danger to motorists.
KeNHA representative Engineer Duncan Oduor told the Narok County Service Delivery meeting that 150 out of 200 signages placed in the last three months had been vandalized posing danger to the motorists who ply along the busy highway.
He told the meeting that despite the authority conducting many public sensitization campaigns to inform the public on the importance of the signages, the vice was still rampant.
The Engineer said they were forced to change from metallic to plastic signages as it was assumed that the metallic signages were in high demand at the scrap metal businesses.
Despite the change in the material used to make the signages, he said, the illegal act has not stopped as everyday some signages are reported missing.
“A place like the Ntulele area where there is a black spot should have signage to warn motorists of an impending bend. However, the place has no signage as we speak despite our efforts of replacing the vandalized signages,” he said.
The engineer pointed out that Narok County is a pastoral county with many livestock crossing the road on a daily basis as they seek for water and pasture. Nevertheless, the road signages put to warn the motorists on the animal crossing zones have been vandalized.
Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde who chaired the meeting said the security team will continue working with the road officers to sensitize the residents on the importance of protecting the signages.
“We need to engage the locals through their Nyumba Kumi representatives and village elders so that they can own the signages and help to educate the community on the importance of having the signages on the highway,” said Masinde.
The Government Service Delivery representative John Karanja asked the KeNHA officials to report missing signage to the police immediately they find out that it was missing so that an action can be taken.
By Ann Salaton
