Residents of Chuui and Mbari ya Kio in Mathioya, Murang’a, have expressed relief following the start of construction works to upgrade rural roads that have been impassable in the area.
Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) in collaboration with the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) will upgrade the roads that have been in a deplorable state, especially during the rainy season, and have been disadvantageous to the residents of the mainly agricultural region to murram.
Speaking during the flagging off ceremony on February 23, area Member of Parliament (MP) Edwin Mugo said he has set aside funds amounting to 250 million that will be used to upgrade rural roads in various parts of the constituency so that the residents can easily transport their farm produce to the markets.
“We are starting with the seven-kilometer stretch between Mugumoini- Chuui and Kanjahi,” Mugo said.
“We will also be doing another 30 kilometers in the Gitugi area and in the area of Mbari ya Kio, Gachuuha, Koora, and Gatitu,” he added.
The MP further explained that the roads will be upgraded to murram so that they are more durable, saying that they will ease the movement of people and goods from the region to the markets.
One of the residents, Cecilia Wambui, noted that they have contended with transport challenges for a long time and the planned upgrade comes as a relief to them.
“There are no public transport vehicles to this area and even using motorcycles has been a challenge as they are prone to accidents due to the poor state of roads,” Wambui said adding that farmers have incurred huge losses because of the condition of those roads.
Another resident, Johnson Maina, who is a farmer said the stretch of road between Kanjahi and Chuui has been in a bad state and farmers and traders are finally hopeful that the new contractor will deliver because the road has been given to other contractors before.
“The roads here are so bad that we cannot sell food in the markets or even villages especially when it rains and we are now hopeful for better days,” Maina said.
Kagumoini chief, Joseph Macharia, observed that the roads have been in a deplorable state for a long time and the improved roads will greatly benefit the residents who will use the roads to transport their farm produce.
“This is a greatly agricultural area with a lot of avocados, coffee, pumpkin, and bananas as well as dairy farming and the roads will greatly reduce the time it takes for the products to reach the market,” he observed.
The chief urged farmers to utilize the roads once constructed to improve their livelihoods by producing more food as well as diversifying their agricultural produce now that they will easily reach markets.
The MP asked the contractors to give the menial jobs throughout the construction of the roads to the locals and he cautioned them against constructing substandard roads.
“The contractors should give the jobs to the local youth so that they can benefit from the construction before they consider outsourcing labour,” he said adding that that way the upgrading of the roads will start improving the lives of the residents immediately.
By Purity Mugo
