Relief for residents of Mbita as Sh817m bridge nears completion

A section of the Sh817 million Mbita Causeway connecting Rusinga Island and Mbita town. It will be launched in two weeks. [PHOTO: JAMES OMORO/ STANDARD]

An important bridge linking Rusinga Island and Mbita town will be opened in two weeks.

Cases of residents drowning while attempting cross back and forth by boat are expected to become a thing of the past thanks to the Sh817 million Mbita Causeway.

Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo is among those still mourning loved ones who have drowned while trying to cross Lake Victoria by boat due to lack of a bridge.

Her father, Harrison Odhiambo Opiyo, died in November 1973 while returning to his home on the island after a meeting in Mbita town.

“It was during election campaigns and my father was bidding to be the Mbita MP. He had just attended a political meeting in Mbita and was on his way back home when the boat he was travelling in capsized,” Ms Odhiambo said yesterday.

For many years now, residents have been pushing the national government to built a bridge or causeway linking the island and the town.

The only available means has been water transport, and many have died in the lake.

But now, residents can breath easy as the bridge, which is said to be 98 per cent complete, is sure to ease transport between the island and the mainland.

BITUMEN COURSE

Raphael Kabugu, one of the engineers building the bridge, said most of the work was done.

“The remaining work includes establishing a bitumen course on the bridge and putting up signs and guard rails. What is left will take two weeks after which we will open the bridge for use,” he said.

The bridge is 160 metres long, 10 metres wide and eight metres high.

The road joining the bridge to the island is 500 metres long; the one joining from town measures 250 metres.

It will still allow water vessels to cross from one side of the lake to another - all vessels up to 40 metres wide and less than eight metres high will be able to pass under the bridge.

“The bridge is designed in such a way that ferries and other vessels, except ships, will pass under it,” Mr Kabugu said of the project that has been funded by the Kenyan and Spanish governments.

Construction, which began in March 2013, was expected to end in August 2014, but was delayed by a change of design.

“Our initial design was a bridge that was three metres high from the water surface, which would have cost Sh657 million. But locals requested a higher bridge, which forced us to change the design. The cost also went up,” said Kabugu.

“Excavation and removal of murram and stones for use in building the current path will take some time but we will begin removing them once the bridge is operational.”

Ms Odhiambo said the bridge would improve the region’s economy.

“Environmentalists have also said the free flow of water from one part of the lake to another will improve its ecosystem. Generally, it (the bridge) has many benefits for the people,” said the MP.

A number of residents interviewed said lack of a bridge had made life difficult for them.

Oscar Odero is happy that he will be able to cross to town and back without fear.

“Many people have died after their boats capsized. We are grateful for the bridge, which is also expected to improve business in this area,” said 60-year-old Mr Odero.

In addition, cases of hippo attacks on residents using boats will also be a thing of the past thanks to the bridge.

“Hippos had made crossing the water by boats very dangerous, especially at night,” said Tobias Okeyo, another resident.

Others said the bridge had led to an increase in water levels that even covered their land.

But they were optimistic that they would reclaim it once the bridge was complete.

Businessman Okuku Miregi said the water submerged many plots near the lake.

ENHANCE BREEDING

“We had many plots near the lake shore but they were submerged when stones were dropped in the lake to create the causeway,” he said.

The free flow of water is also expected to enhance breeding of fish.

“The southern side has more fish than the north. The bridge will enhance distribution of fish varieties across the lake, leading to increased fish populations in some parts of the lake,” said Litare Beach Management Unit Secretary Wilson Nyajwaya.