Gatundu North residents decry poor state of roads
Residents of Gatei, Mwimuto, Gathaiti and Githobokoni villages in Gatundu North, Kiambu County are up in arms against their elected leaders over the dilapidated state of roads connecting the villages with the Thika-Magumu highway.
In what can be mistaken as farming land, the locals decried that the pathetic state of their roads have paralyzed their economic activities as they can no longer move their farm produce to the market using the impassable roads.
They stated that while the road has been in a pathetic state for months, the situation worsened since short rains started falling in the area turning the road to be muddily impenetrable.
Led by Joseph Mwangi who transports pineapples from Watathi village to Kamwangi, Thika and Nairobi markets, the residents said they are now counting losses as their farm produce might rot in the farm due to the poor state of roads.
“I have been ferrying my pineapples to Thika, Kamwangi and other markets in Nairobi but that is no longer doable. While I used to ferry them thrice a week, I’m now in total paralysis as the road will only make me incur further losses repairing my vehicle,” said Mwangi.
While decrying that some schools no longer pick up learners from home and are forced to trek to school to avoid the buses getting stuck in the mud, Judy Munga, another resident expressed fury that despite making numerous cries to leaders to repair the road, nothing substantial has been done.
“Our children are suffering. We don’t even want to care about the movement of other people and their produce but to see our children stay home as others trek to school because buses cannot pick them up, we are extremely worried. Our leaders need to act and do it fast,” said Munga.
Gatundu residents' plea
The furious locals called on President William Ruto who is set to tour Kiambu County for a development tour tomorrow to consider prioritizing construction of the terrible roads that they described as a ‘shame to his administration’.
“Ruto should see the state in which we live and how we suffer to move from point to another. He can only help us when he experiences the state of these roads and we urge him to tour this area tomorrow,” Agnes Murugi, another resident said.
The locals who decried voting in leaders with little to show for their efforts threatened to boycott the next general elections should the government fail to address their plight.
The Gatei, Mwimuto, Watathi and Githobokoni roads are part of the multi-billion Mau Mau roads that stalled over nonpayment of the contractor.
