Once a town council and famous for its rice fields, Ahero town sits in the heart of Kano plains 25km from Kisumu city. With the fast-growing town being along the Kisumu-Nairobi highway, motorists, pedestrians and residents now want it decongested.
They say the Ahero section of the highway is too narrow as it is used by motorists who include boda boda riders, livestock and pedestrians.
Residents also called for footbridges to provide alternatives for livestock and pedestrians.
Ahero town is located to the South East of the lakeside city of Kisumu at the junction of the Nairobi-Kisumu and the Kisii-Kisumu highways. This makes it a vibrant economic hub serving residents of Homa Bay, Nandi and Kisii. Boda boda rider Job Otieno in Ahero town said the road is narrow and has many users, causing traffic.
Livestock sometimes also causes the snarl-ups, which boda boda riders say hurts their business.
“The county and national government should expand the road so that motorists and pedestrians use different sections to avoid accidents,” Otieno said.
His sentiments were echoed by Kennedy Ouma, a trader and resident of Ahero town. He said it gets more chaotic on Tuesdays; livestock market day. He asked the county government to find an alternative livestock market.
Dickson Otieno, a boda boda rider, said on Thursdays and Fridays there is more traffic as mourners ferry bodies from the morgue ahead of a weekend funeral.
The market is further overcrowded, leading to an overspill on the road.
The Kisumu county government has allocated Sh15 million for Ahero town upgrade. The funds will be spent on the construction of a 400m road network within the town.
The works will involve roads upgrade and improvements to the drainage systems. After the upgrade, residents of Ahero will enjoy improved street lighting.
Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o in November 2020 said part of the Ahero face-lift programme would include setting up a solid waste management system and recovering and recycling plastics and glasses into building blocks.
Livestock chief officer Rosemary Raluoch said the highway should also be designed to accommodate crossing animals.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join