The government has commissioned the grading of the 100 kilometer Maralal-Baragoi road to uplift the standards of road in an effort to reduce rampant cases of banditry and highway robberies.
Speaking in Morijo area after commissioning the road rehabilitation project, Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen said that once the road was renovated, it would enable herders to access markets for their livestock and also aid quick security response when cattle rustlers and bandits strike.
Murkomen noted that a number of people have lost their lives after being shot by bandits who take advantage of the dilapidated road infrastructure to launch attacks, the most recent being Ang’ata Nanyukie MCA Stephen Leshimpero who was shot and killed by bandits while driving to home in February.
“The efforts we are making to upgrade infrastructure is going to aid the efforts of the Ministry of Interior and National Administration in the fight against cattle rustlers and bandits in Samburu County. The works will later be extended to South Horr and ultimately to North Horr on the Kenya Ethiopia border,” he said.
The CS further noted that for many years, the A4 road category has been receiving inadequate money for maintenance saying that his Ministry has pumped Sh50 million through the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) for rehabilitation.
Murkomen also revealed that efforts to secure funding for the tarmacking of the 400 kilometer Maralal-Baragoi-Sarima to Ilerate along the Kenya Ethiopia border were at an advanced stage.
Samburu County Governor Lati Lelelit welcomed the road renovation project saying it was a form of improving security along the treacherous route at the same time urging the CS to budget for security roads.
The governor said that the tarmacking of the road would be a permanent solution to the perpetual insecurity incidents that hindered development in Samburu North Sub County.
“Criminals like operating in inaccessible areas and I believe good roads provide a lasting solution to insecurity more than security operations,” the governor noted.
By Robert Githu
