By Mangoa Mosota

Property owners along Kisian-Yala Road will be compensated to pave way for road expansion.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) plans to expand the road from 36.5 metres to 60 metres.

“We have marked a number of buildings and have verbally informed the owners of our plans,” said Philemon Kandie, KeNHA Nyanza regional manager. The affected towns along the 40-kilometre stretch include Maseno, Luanda and Yala. In Luanda, Vihiga County, nearly half of the buildings have been earmarked for demolition.

Businessmen in the area, however, expressed fears that the Government may not compensate them. “They (KeNHA) have told us informally that we are located within the road reserve and we will be compensated before the building are demolished. But we fear the compensation may take longer or might not take place,” explained David Amuko, whose family owns one-storey building rented to a bank.

He said some roads have been diverted and wondered why Luanda is an exception.

Among the structures to be affected along the road are business entities, schools, hospitals and churches.

Almost the entire Ebuyalu Secondary School that is about five kilometres from Luanda town would be demolished.

The head teacher, Edward Chole, said they have 3.7 acres and structures on two acres would be affected under the new road plan.

“The administration block, two teachers’ houses and three classrooms are within the marked area,” he said.  The school was started 13 years ago and currently has 250 students.

He said the school’s Board of Governors would soon meet to deliberate on the issue. About two kilometres from the school, a huge section of Ipali Health Centre has also been earmarked for demolition.

Kandie, however, said the decision for the road expansion is yet to be reached and plans to acquire more land for the exercise is ongoing.

He said the process has to follow a given guideline and be done in humane manner.

“Demolition will take place after the due process is followed that involves compensation as agreed upon by stakeholders,” he said on Thursday.