Mathioya residents reprieved after dilapidated feeder road is murramed

Residents of Kaheto village in Mathioya constituency now have reprieve following the murraming of a two-kilometre long road that has been in bad condition for years.

So poor was the state of the road that residents were forced to carry the sick on their backs, or use makeshift stretchers to ferry them to hospital, as motorists avoided it.

This was the case a few weeks ago, said Margaret Wanjiru.

“This road has been a nightmare. As young women, we have to be taken to the hospital to deliver using stretchers or seek alternative accommodation a few days before your due date,” Wanjiru said.

Whenever there was a burial ceremony, the villagers would again rally together and ferry the casket from the Murang’a Gitugi tarmac road to the bereaved homestead.

“During rains, even our children had to be in gumboots to get to school but that is now over and we are relieved,” she added.

Wanjiru expressed joy that the road has been upgraded by the NG-CDF, saying it will transform the village as they will be able to engage in farming more vigorously.

Her sentiments were echoed by Simon Mwangi, who noted that the economy of the village has been affected by poor accessibility.

The village, Mwangi said, produces coffee, horticultural products and milk, but transportation to the market was an uphill task.

At times, bodaboda operators, who are relied on to ferry farm produce, would fall and spill milk, causing losses to farmers.

“We will no longer have that apprehension. We are happy that this road has been made usable after many years of being in a bad state,” he said.

Peter Kinuthia said he lost his father after he suddenly fell ill while at home and there were no means to transport him to hospital.

Getting help from neighbours to carry him to the main road took time and by the time they got to hospital, he was too ill.

Kinuthia said the upgraded road will have a great impact on the quality of their lives and enable them carry on with their daily activities.

MP Edwin Mugo said he resolved to have the road upgraded after visiting the village during the long rains season in April this year.

“We conducted public participation and residents expressed how they use stretchers to take their sick to the hospital,” the MP said.

Speaking while launching the road on Wednesday, Mugo said over the last two years, the kitty has been used for the murraming of 300 kilometres of feeder roads.

Another 30 kilometres have been tarmacked in the same period, boosting connectivity in the constituency.

The constituency is at the foot of the Aberdare forest and is agricultural, hence having good roads enables farmers to market their produce with ease.

“We are also in the process of renovating public primary schools and even installing tiles. We cannot be tiling our schools when children have no roads to walk to schools on,” he added.

The constituency has received Sh62 million emergency funds from Kenya Rural Roads Authority and more roads will be murramed this year, Mugo said.