State House staff extended a helping hand to residents of Juja, Kiambu county, by rehabilitating a bridge that had been left dilapidated for decades.
The State House staff had been constructing houses in the area estimated to be worth over Ksh. 400M with residents pleading with them to reconstruct the bridge.
One of the residents revealed that he managed to mobilise the State House to construct the bridge after years of neglect.
"We raised money together with State House staff for the construction of the bridge. I have been working closely with other government officials on the project.
"The staff and officials have been putting up houses in the area which is why I asked them to develop the area by constructing a bridge," noted one of the residents.
The dangerous bridge has been neglected for over 30 years during which it never underwent maintenance, leaving it in a sorry state.
Women seeking maternity services were for a very long time forced to deliver at home with the dilapidated bridge proving impassable to those seeing medical services away from the area.
Farmers in the area have also been counting losses with their produce going bad during the rainy season when the bridge is submerged underwater.
"Getting to the hospital is a huge challenge, I had a tough time taking my father to the hospital. We used to carry him on our backs.
"When it rains the bridge is inaccessible with many roads around the area also being impassible," said a woman from the area.
During the long rains in April and May, the residents are forced to use alternative routes which are is 18 kilometres longer.
Students in the area were also affected by the bridge as they struggle to attend school before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country.
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