Fury as police stops locals from holding harambee to fix key road in Juja

A fund raiser that had been organised to raise Sh300, 000 meant to repair the 21-kilometre stretch from Juja town to Juja farm was stopped by police yesterday.

Organisers of the fund raiser, who included matatu and boda boda operators, had advertised the event on social media.

Residents have been blaming the county administration of neglecting the road.

JAT Matatu Sacco Chairman Patrick Mungai said the sub-county administration was adamant that the fund raiser could not be allowed to go on since it would amount to undermining the government.

“Everything was in place and we had in fact invited local leaders, including area MP Francis Munyua, who had confirmed he would be attending. But police cancelled the event,” Mungai said.

There has been a tug of war between Governor Ferdinand Waititu’s administration and Kenya Rural Roads Authority on who should rehabilitate the road.

Juliet Kimemia, the County Executive in charge of roads, urged residents to be patient since the county government had awarded a tender for the tarmacking of a section of the road.

Ms Kimemia said the county had started to grade the entire road before the construction work could begin in order to make it usable by motorists.

“We awarded tenders last week that will see seven kilometers of the entire road tarmacked. The remaining part will be tarmacked by 2021,” she said.

The official said the county would also tarmac 10 other roads in 12 constituencies.

The roads include those destroyed during a prolonged rainy season last year.

But residents have questioned the county administration's criteria of building the road halfway, saying it does not make sense.