Kuresoi residents use own resources to repair bad roads on Christmas

Kuresoi residents use marram to repair Kaplamboi road in Olenguruone on December 25, 2019. [Kennedy Gachuhi/Standard]

Residents of Kaplamboi village in Kuresoi South used their own resources to repair a key road that has been dilapidated for months.

The determined residents turned up in large numbers on Christmas Day with construction tools to repair the Kaplamboi road, having raised Sh15,000 last week to buy murram from a local quarry.

“We felt that we had nothing to celebrate. We have been failed by our leaders. Getting to our homes has been a major challenge due to the bad road. The county government has not heeded to our cry for months,” said Patrick Langat.

Roads in various parts of the county have been damaged by recent heavy rains in the area.

Kaplamboi residents lamented that the poor state of the roads has greatly affected their agricultural activities, especially delivery of milk to various collection points.

“We want to send a strong message to the county government that we are incurring heavy losses on these roads. Dairy farming is one of our major sources of income. Our milk has been going bad along the way due to delays as vehicles get stuck,” said Mr Langat.

Joseph Tanui, a tea farmer, added that truck drivers find it difficult to access buying centres to pick green leaf for delivery to factories.

“Some sections of the road are in bad shape that tractors can’t access. In normal circumstances, lorry drivers take several hours along the way. If a truck gets stuck, the driver has to wait until the ground is dry to proceed,” said Tanui.

Meanwhile, the county assembly convened a special sitting to pass a supplementary budget that has seen vote cuts from other departments directed to roads.

In the Sh373 million supplementary budget passed on Monday, the budget committee enhanced the roads allocation by Sh5 million to boost the roads maintenance project dubbed Boresha Barabara.

“The recurrent expenditure in the department of infrastructure is amended by increasing its budgetary provision from Sh15 million to Sh20.57 million. This was occasioned by provision for fuels, casuals and maintenance,” said the committee chairperson Joel Karuri.

The MCAs who had been recalled from recess said the passing of the budget was urgent to ensure the roads are maintained before the next rain season.

“The rains have subsided and this is an opportune time for the county government to do first aid on the roads. The next rain season is coming and the situation is likely to worsen if the county government delays to kick off the projects now,” said Michael Machembu, who chairs the Roads committee.

His sentiments were echoed by Soin MCA Irene Chebichii who noted that her area was among the most affected by floods, and urged the county government to prioritise such areas.

“In Soin Ward and the whole of Rongai constituency, at least 200 families were displaced. Roads and trading centres were destroyed by floods. We appeal to the county government to hasten the project now that the Appropriation Bill has been passed,” said Ms Chebichii.