Residents of the Ololoito area in Narok Central Sub-county are appealing to the authorities to repair the broken bridge that connects them to the Narok-Nakuru highway.
The residents, led by Ololoito Primary School Head Teacher Mr. David Kenga, lamented that the bridge was swept away by flash floods last month and that the county government has put no effort into renovating the road.
Kenga said the impassable road has compromised learning at his school, as only a handful of pupils make it to school every day, as pupils living on the other side of the river cannot cross the bridge.
“The teachers have asked the pupils to remain at home for their safety. But our worry is, until when? Other schools have their children learning, while my school is disadvantaged to have only a few learners making it to school every day,” he said.
Kenga observed that the area is rich in crop production, and the farmers were suffering huge losses as they cannot transport their crops to the market.
“This area is rich in vegetable, potato, maize, and carrot farming. However, the farmers cannot enjoy their handwork because of the impassable road,” he said.
Kayiyo Nkoitoi, a teacher at Ololoito Primary School, decried the situation, saying they have to keep watch over the children in the morning and evening to ensure they are not swept down the river.
“The bridge is very critical for the people living in this area; it has become difficult for even teachers to cross the river when going to school,” he said.
Michael Tobiko, a resident of the Ololoito area, added that the residents have put up two posts to enhance movement, but they are very risky as someone can easily slip down.
“We are charging Sh500 to everyone who crosses the river via the posts, so that we can get enough money to construct a temporary bridge. We have decided to take the burden to ourselves,” he reiterated.
Nevertheless, Narok Region Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) regional Engineer Emmanuel Kipruto, who visited the bridge, confirmed that the road is a county road, but his office has written a request to the Kenya Roads Board to have the road maintained by KERRA, which will make it easier for the authority to construct the bridge.
By Ann Salaton
