Residents demonstrate over contractor delays in Tigani West

A police man tries to reason with residents of Kagaene, Tigania West on April 27,2018 after blocking the Meru- Mikinduri road for hours. The residents were venting their frustrations due to a delay in completing the road project: Photo Peter Muthomi

The Meru-Mikinduri road was yesterday impassable as residents of Kagaene in Tigani West barricaded it in protests against alleged delays in completing construction.

Transport was paralysed for the better part of the day as residents and leaders protested against the company building the 28km St Anne-Kunene-Kagaene-Miomponi road.

The locals complained that no tarmacking had been laid since construction work began.

The contractor was awarded the tender in 2016 but the road was officially commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta on June 24 last year.

A spot check showed only a stretch of about three kilometres had a gravel layer laid.

The road will connect three wards - Nkomo and Mbeu in Meru County, and Mukothima ward in Tharaka Nithi County.

Nkomo MCA Muchena Ntombura said they would demand a new contractor.

Julius Kinoti, a resident, threatened that locals would stop paying levies if the matter was not addressed.

“When the President was here we were very happy because we were promised the project would take a short time and ease transportation, but today we are still suffering, especially now that we have rains and the road is impassable,” said Mr Kinoti said.

HEAVY RAINS

But James Kiara, the site engineer, said work on the road was stopped due to heavy rains and there was nothing to worry about as construction would resume next month.

Mr Kiara admitted that they had have not laid any bitumen on the road despite the company starting the project about two years ago, but promised that things would change for the better.

“If the rains subside, we will have completed construction on that part by the end of May,” he said.