Residents of Kamahuha in Murang'a County protest over dusty road

Hundreds of residents of Kamahuha Village in Murang’a County Wednesday took to the streets protesting over the dusty Kamahuha-Sabasaba road which they say has made most of their businesses to close down.

The protesting residents said the dust and discomfort created by the road, even after it was apparently rehabilitated, was negatively affecting their health and businesses.

The residents accused the county of making the worse, noting that it was passable before it was repaired under the feeder roads programme.

The irate residents claimed attempts to make the road better only left it more dilapidated and dusty, and expressed concerns that it may be impassable during the rainy season.

Those adversely affected are shop owners who said they have been forced to close down their business as the dust has become a nuisance to them.

The shop owners said most of the customers are avoiding their shops due to the dust adding that even hotels had closed down as they are no longer conducive for the customers.

Mary Njoki, a shop owner said hospitals and other government offices in the areas have also been affected.

‘We fear for our children who are at the risk of falling ill due to the excess dust. The road was better [before rehabilitation] as it had murram only for the tractor to come and remove it [murram], leaving bare soil,” Ms Njoki said.

SH1BN ROADS PROJECT

The protest comes barely two weeks after Governor Mwangi Wa Iria launched Sh1 billion roads development project.

Under the project, each of the 35 wards received an excavator, a roller, a construction water truck and three lorries to help improve the road network in the county.

MCAs were put in charge of the programme but the villagers said Governor Wa Iria did consult them adding that he should have prioritised other roads which were in a poorer state.

Boda boda operators also claimed that the road has become a threat to them and their passengers as on several occasions they get involved in accidents when they skid through the dust.

John Ndung’u, the Kamahuha Boda Boda Sacco chairman appealed to their MCA to put murram on the road and to it passable again.

He noted that many passengers and riders have been hurt when their motorbikes skid and fall in the dust.

“We want the road to be covered with murram just the way it was [before] soonest possible so as to do away with the dust [so that] we get back to our normal lives,” said John.

Mr Ndung’u wondered why murram that is being excavated from the village is being ferried to other areas of the county to improve roads while those in the area are still in a dire state.

They vowed to block further excavation of the murram until their plight is addressed.