Residents and traders who use the Oria-Riat Bridge to cross river Kuja have been provided with a motorboat to facilitate their movement.
This is after the bridge that connects Homa Bay and Migori counties collapsed on Wednesday morning as a truck ferrying sugarcane crossed the river.
The trailer plunged into the river, leaving the driver with minor injuries. He was treated at a local dispensary.
The bridge was constructed by the British in 1977.
Connecting between Ndhiwa constituency in Homa Bay and Uriri in Migori, the bridge serves hundreds of residents and traders since it also leads to Sukari Industry Ltd and Oria and Riat markets.
The two markets are important as they serve traders from Ndhiwa, Nyatike, Uriri, Awendo, Rongo, Suba North and Homa Town constituencies.
Speaking on Friday at Riat market during a meeting with the community and Sukari Industry Ltd officials, Ndhiwa MP Martin Owino said they have procured a new a motorboat to help them cross the river.
The motorboat was bought by Sukari Industry Ltd.
The factory general manager David Okoth said they introduced the boat, which arrived on Friday evening, as a temporary remedy to the transport problem.
“The boat will carry 10 people at a time from one side of the river to other. The transportation service is free of charge,” Okoth said.
MP Owino said three police officers will be deployed to control use of the motorboat.
He said the government through Kenya Rural Roads Authority has allocated Sh30 million to start constructing a new bridge.
“We want the police to control the use of the boat to avoid any stampede during crossing and misuse of the boat,” Owino said.
He said the government will start by building a footbridge for pedestrians before embarking on constructing the main bridge at an estimated cost of Sh90 million.
Residents led by Charles Muga, William Oyugi and Otindo Mbaki had requested the government to provide them with a ferry for crossing the river.
They argued that the river is infested with hippos and crocodiles, which are likely to attack them.
“Let the government provide us with a ferry to prevent accidents resulting from hippos and crocodiles attack,” Muga said.
Edited by EKibii
