NYS to repair 200km road damaged by floods in Nyando

Chief Administrative Secretary State Department for Gender,ministry of public service, youth and gender affairs, Rachael Shebesh (center) flanked by Nyando MP Jared Okello (left) and NYS Regional in-charge Omondi Tuju address the press on July 12,2018 after surveying roads along Ahero-Ombaka that were destroyed by floods. NYS equipment will be used to repair the roads. (Photo: Denish Ochieng/ Standard)

The Government will deploy the National Youth Service (NYS) to repair more than 200 kilometres of roads damaged by floods.

Chief Administrative Secretary for Youth and Gender Affairs Rachel Shebesh On Thursday toured sections of the destroyed roads.

She said her office was mapping out affected roads to quantify resources required to fix them. “Our servicemen have always been available to respond to such cases of disasters. When MPs send us a distress call, we are glad to bring the NYS on board because we have the best machinery for this kind of work,” said Shebesh.

She was accompanied by Western Regional NYS Commander Omondi Tuju, who promised to supervise the works. “We are ready and only waiting for further instructions on when to start,” said Mr Tuju.

Nyando constituency lies within the Kano Plain, which has perennially suffered from flooding every time River Nyando breaks its banks.

In the most recent flooding, more than 1,200 families were displaced and tens of roads destroyed.

Area MP Jared Okello on Thursday said repairing damaged roads was one of the first measures to restore livelihoods. “We are glad that the national government responded to our cry, and we are ready to work with the team from NYS to ensure that we get back all our roads. We had to wait for the rains to subside. We are now getting down to work,” said Mr Okello.

He said his team was working on a programme to ensure the repair work was completed fast.

Shebesh said NYS would provide road repair machinery and the technical manpower to operate it, while Mr Okello, through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund, would provide engineers and the casual labour.

She said the machinery would be based in Nyando until all the reconstruction was complete. “This programme will also empower communities, as most of the low-skill work will be done by youths in areas where the roads pass,” said Shebesh.