Farmers decry poor state of feeder roads

Governor Patrick Khaemba, who recently launched road maintenance equipment worth Sh500 million, said the rehabilitation would commence as soon as the rains subsided. PHOTO: COURTESY

Farmers have raised concerns about the poor state of roads as they prepare for the maize harvest. Heavy rains in the region have rendered most feeder roads impassable.

The concerns come as the county administration embarks on rehabiliting feeder roads linking most of the farms to market centres. They expressed fears that it would be difficult for them to transport their produce from the farms if the roads were not worked on as a matter of urgency.

Governor Patrick Khaemba, who recently launched road maintenance equipment worth Sh500 million, said the rehabilitation would commence as soon as the rains subsided.

The county chief affirmed that the graders, excavators, tippers and drum rollers among other machinery would be deployed to each of the five sub-counties.

"We were only waiting for the rains to subside before we embarked on a serious programme of rehabilitating our roads. I can assure farmers that they will transport their produce with ease," said Mr Khaemba.

By yesterday, some of the machinery had been dispatched to parts of Kwanza and Cherangany sub-counties Farmers in the cosmopolitan agricultural county are about to start harvesting cereals.

"Previously, we encountered difficulties transporting maize to the National Cereals and Produce Board in Kitale due to impassable roads. We often spent the nights guarding the maize whenever our trucks got stuck in mud," said Moses Kipsang, a farmer in Suwerwa.