Why politicians are avoiding roads

Roads in Mombasa are in a horrible state. They have huge potholes and some have gullies. Huge gaps on a road where asphalt used to be can damage tyres, make cars swerve and cause collisions. When you look inside the pothole you see a very thin layer of tarmac and stones. A vehicle must go slow in order to manoeuvre the pothole, otherwise it will cause an accident.

Those awarded tenders to build and repair roads must be answerable to someone, anyone; or else they will continue to construct substandard roads. To prove that one can build good roads, authorities could observe what you have done for at least a year and if one fails the durability test then they are forced to redo the road. Veronica Onjoro, Mombasa

Figuring out who is liable for most roads accidents on our roads is as easy as ABC. The poor status of most roads has led to numerous accidents over the years, with some motorists having head on collisions while avoiding potholes.

It would be fair if county governments were taken to task for accidents that occur due to the poor state of our most used transport system. Most counties in the country experience poor roads and while some effort has been done to repair them, they soon disrepair and motorists continue to suffer. It is unfortunate that citizens pay taxes religiously, yet their money is ill-used. Christine Adhiambo, Narok

Kenya has bad roads, so bad that leaders are now choosing to use choppers to avoid the discomfort that comes with driving on a bumpy and potholed road. Often, and year after year, our leaders have opted for other means of transport, and thus they do not necessarily understand what majority of Kenyans experience when they use dilapidated roads. Apart from the discomfort and avoidable accidents that come from using bad roads, millions of shillings are spent on vehicle repair since important components are destroyed.

Let the authorities take seriously the construction and maintenance of roads in a way that they last for generations to come. After all, Kenyan taxpayers are paying billions of shillings to ensure they have good roads to steer their economy. Concerned reader, Via Email