Nakuru is growing rapidly but roads are not rolling out as fast

By Karanja Njoroge

The chairman of Nakuru Business Association, Boniface Muhia, says the business community wants the relevant bodies to act fast and rehabilitate the roads in the town.

"The road network in the town is very frustrating and we are calling on those allocated the funds to move in fast and repair the roads," he added.

Residents have also expressed concern over the quality of works done on some of the roads over the past few months.

"Even a layman can tell that the quality of work is poor and not good value for money," local trader John Njenga complained.

He said poor workmanship is evident whenever it rains, with the floods in areas such as Kaptembwa, Mwariki, and Kwa Rhonda damaging the roads and washing away culverts.

Last year, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) announced that major roads in the town would receive a major facelift.

Kura said funds to be used to repair the few priority roads were available and the tendering process for the same was underway.

The body was responding to concerns raised over the poor state of roads in the town’s industrial area by Kenya Association of Manufacturers (Nakuru Chapter).

The Kenya Urban Roads Authority is a State corporation that is mandated to manage, develop, rehabilitate and maintain all public roads in cities and municipalities.

In Molo, the poor state of the Kibunja–Molo road has caused untold suffering on motorists who prefer to use the road as a link to the town and to the Nakuru–Eldoret Highway.

Frustrated by failure to have the roads repaired, residents of Kuresoi last month wrote to Prime Minister Raila Odinga, seeking his intervention.

The locals were incensed after several sick people died en-route to hospital.