Residents of Gatundu North in Kiambu County, Kenya took to the streets to demonstrate against the poor state of the Thika-Magumu road.
The residents accused area MP Elijah Njoroge, also known as Kururia, and the contractor of inaction in repairing the road. Demonstrators blocked a section of the road near Mwea police station with bananas and branches, lit fires, and barricaded the road with rocks, causing traffic to grind to a halt.
The residents claimed that the construction of the 68km road began four years ago, and everything has stopped, causing locals to suffer, especially during the rainy season.
The Thika-Magumu road is a major link between Kiambu, Nyandarua, and Murang’a Counties, passing through Thika town, Mang’u, Kamwangi, Kanyoni, Kanjuku, Gakoe, Kirasha, and Magumu.
Matatu operators and motorcycle riders lamented that they have been incurring huge losses in repairs for damages occasioned by the deplorable state of the road.
The road was expected to open up the region and boost its economy, but those dreams have turned into a nightmare.
This isn’t the first time that residents of Gatundu North have demonstrated against the poor state of infrastructure. In 2019, residents protested against the stalling of construction works on the Sh1.5 billion Gatukuyu-Kairi-Mataara road. Carrying twigs and placards, irate residents barricaded the road at Igamba village with boulders and planted bananas in protest.
In response, Kiamwangi MCA in Gatundu South, Kung’u Smart, called on the ministry of roads to liaise with County governments to ensure that all weathered roads are rehabilitated to ensure smooth movement. He also noted that the national government should work with community representatives to ensure proper service delivery.
The residents are urging the local leadership to push for the road to be repaired, or they will continue to protest until action is taken. They hope that the government will address the issue promptly to ease the difficulties they have been experiencing due to the poor state of the road.
