Principal Secretary, State Department for Irrigation, Ephantus Kamotho, has assured residents of Ongata Rongai that the resumption of the construction of the Gataka Road will resume soon.
This is after the residents decried danger after the construction of the Gataka Road was abandoned halfway over, two weeks after the project had begun.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, the residents revealed that businesses and services, including important hospital services, have been stranded since constructors dug out the road, leaving it with trenches, holes, and impassable.
The residents alleged that a dangerous open ditch along the busy route has been left out, which is now a massive breeding ground for mosquitoes, a hazard to motorists, and a looming crisis as schools are set to reopen.
“The situation has been a major challenge to medical services. We have biomedical waste that needs to be collected time to time, we also have emergencies, and with this situation, we can't have vehicles bringing supplies to the hospital,’’ a hospital staff member from one of the hospitals in the area revealed.
The hospital staff has revealed that the road has made transport a challenge, especially for patients who are wheelchair bound, those i labor, and also ambulances.
Local business owners are urging the government to expedite the resumption of road construction, citing significant losses as customers struggle to access their premises.
“We are calling upon the government to fast-track the construction so that this road can be better. We are even scared of what will happen once the rains intensify, because normally, its not a good road, but now the situation has been worsened,’’ a boda boda operator explained.
The residents allege that they had doubts about the construction because the contractors did not put up an information board, as is expected for all road construction projects.
In response to the residents' public criticism, PS Kamotho revealed that construction of the road would resume with a focus on backfilling the open excavation, while other construction work continued.
“The Contractor on Gataka-Tumaini road and Masai Lodge-Rimpa road will resume works. Emphasise is on the Contractor of Gataka - Tumaini road to begin backfilling on the open excavation as other works continue,’’ the PS assured.
The PS did, however, not reveal the exact date when the works will resume, leaving residents concerned over their safety.
“How soon will this be, bwana Ps? We are holding our breath going by the past experiences,’’ a concerned resident asked.
