Bring back our road or else... Kirinyaga leaders tell President Uhuru Kenyatta

KENYA: Kirinyaga leaders have threatened to review their relationship with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee coalition over the decision to reroute a crucial road.

Led by Governor Joseph Ndathi, the leaders want the decision to reroute Kenol—Sagana— Marua road to Kenol-Murang’a overturned saying it will affect the economy of the region. During a highly charged press conference at a Sagana hotel yesterday, the leaders who also included members of the county assembly, said investors had already spent huge amounts of money all the way from Kenol to Marua in anticipation of the positive economic impact.

They also accused Murang’a Senator Kembi Gitura of advancing self-interests at the expense of the economy of the larger Mt Kenya region. Mr Gitura had urged the national government to consider rerouting the proposed dual carriageway from Kenol to Sagana town.

“This project was proposed way back during the Kibaki administration and has already reached the design stage. Why can’t Gitura lobby for his own project and stop advancing his self-interest?’’ Mr Ndathi posed.

They demanded an urgent meeting with President Kenyatta and the senator to enable the Government make an informed decision.

“Unless our condition is met, next year is just around the corner and our people are just waiting for a signal from us,” he said.

Massive demonstration

Those present were Kirinyaga Senator Daniel Karaba, Gichugu MP Njogu Barua, his Ndia counterpart Stephen Ngari and Woman Representative Winnie Karimi. Ms Karimi said the road if rerouted will impact negatively on women small scale traders who sell their wares along the road.

“Unless this decision is reversed, I am ready to mobilise all women who form the bulk of voters when time comes to express our anger and concern in a massive demonstration,” she said. Ngari on the other hand wondered why Gitura would have to wait all that long when the project had reached the design stage only to start his undercut tactics to have the road rerouted.

“This project did not start yesterday and Gitura only waited for an opportunity to have talks with the president and used his position to have the project rerouted to suit his own whims,” Ngari said.

Ngari, an engineer, said he was involved in the 87.7 kilometre project when he served at the Kenya National Highway Authority and as such was speaking from an informed position on the project. Barua on the other hand said it was regrettable that an individual would at this point and time start antagonizing the project instead of seeking from the government to have his own .

“The rerouting will impact negatively on the entire economy of Mt Kenya region and we must tell Gitura that should he have his way, then we shall wait patiently for 2017 and state our position and see if the Senator will be able to go it alone as we gang together as a block from the larger Mt Kenya region,” Barua said.