Lusaka rides on better roads as he seeks re-election

All major roads in Bungoma would have been tarmacked by the end of 2022, the County Boss Ken Lusaka has said.

Speaking to the Press today during the inspection of the Lusaka Road, a stretch that connects Bungoma town to the Eldoret-Malaba highway, the Governor said it has been his desire to modernise the region’s roads so as to boost investments. 

“So far, more than 30 kilometres of roads in urban areas have been tarmacked. Besides the Lusaka Road, my government is also tarmacking various urban roads within Chwele and Kapsokwony towns. Cheptais town’s has already been completed. Hopefully before the end of this month, we would have completed all these works,” he said.

Even with the usual financial constraints, Mr Lusaka said he had also managed to put murram on more than 464 kilometres of roads done, the most recent one being on the Kapkateny-Cheptonon-Kaimukung road which, he says, will open up the agriculturally-rich areas of Kopsiro and Chepyuk in Mt Elgon.

“Mt Elgon’s infrastructure has been pathetic yet this is the region that feeds not only Bungoma but virtually the entire Western region. On the back of this, my government is working closely with the national government to see tarmac roads put here. We have started with the Kapsokwony-Namwela and the Chwele-Lwakhakha roads. We intend to expand to feeder roads in villages to ensure farm produces reach the market in time,” said Governor Lusaka.

In a partnership with the national government, the County Government of Bungoma is currently tarmacking the 40-kilometre Misikhu-Naitiri-Brigadier Road in Tongaren, which upon its completion would have costed Sh1.1 billion. In the arrangement, the county government has contributed Sh600 million. The remaining has been catered for by the national government.

“This road will link the Tongaren people to crucial markets in Kitale, Eldoret, Bungoma and Kakamega for their farm produce, thereby minimising losses that have been experienced since independence due to poor roads,” says Ben Chekwanda, a politician and a resident in the area.

Analysts say Mr Lusaka will be relying on his “good work” on infrastructure in the past four years to seek his re-election, which is four weeks away. “Despite the inevitable delays in the upgrading of the county’s infrastructure, Governor Lusaka has really done his best unlike in other counties. On this front, he scores 70 per cent,” observes Isaac Wanjekeche, a political analyst in Webuye.

Mr Wanjekeche says Governor Lusaka’s second term may see him modernise not only the key roads in Bungoma but also those in inaccessible villages in Mt Elgon “for he has gathered enough experience in running county affairs”.

“I am seeking to make all roads in Bungoma County passable so as to boost movement of people, goods and services across the county. Hopefully, by the end of my second term in 2022, all roads in the county would have been tarmacked. As a matter of fact, those seeking to see a better Bungoma will be backing my candidature in the August 8 polls,” Mr Lusaka observed.