Kisumu residents rehabilitate dilapidated road after years of neglect

 

Residents of Migosi in Kisumu took the initiative to rehabilitate the road that has given them nightmares.

They said on Saturday that the road has been neglected for years.

Motorists have been complaining of huge losses incurred while repairing their damaged vehicles.

A section of the road leading to Ezra Gumbe primary school has over the years been in a pathetic condition making it impassable.

Big potholes filled with stagnant water and muddy are spread on the road. The stagnant water is a breeding zone for mosquitoes posing residents to a high risk of malaria infection.

A private developer, Hesbon Omollo, with the help of local residents mobilised resources and bought murram to rehabilitate the dilapidated road.

Omollo said their pleas to the county government of Kisumu have been in vain forcing them to find an alternative solution.

He said the road has continued to deteriorate without any attempt to fix it despite their pleas to elected leaders.

“Migosi residents are a forgotten lot, and it is because of this that we have taken an initiative with the little we have to fix the road. As you can see, we are murraming the road to level it,” Omollo said.

He spoke while inspecting the works to fill the potholes filled with water and mud.

Omollo said the road is pathetic rendering transport on the road to a near halt. He said the road needs to be urgently tarmacked as it affects businesses and services at public health facilities in the area.

Residents of Migosi estate in Kisumu murruming the dilapidated road on Saturday.
Image: MAURICE ALAL

He announced that recently they got a response from the Kenya Urban Roads Board (KURA) after several letters from the residents that the road might soon be built to bitumen standards.

“Am glad to report that there is some positive response from them, hopefully, the national government through KURA will be able to take some steps to help us,” he said.

Omollo says that in the meantime, they will ensure that the little resources at their disposal are used to fix some bad sections of the road.

“This will at least aid transport and allow easy passage of locals during this rainy season,” he added.

Everline Andiego, a resident, said their children are always in the house since there is no way outside to the playing fields.

She stated that those living next to the road have suffered due to poor road networks as motorists splash mud right inside their houses when it rains.

“It is very unfortunate that the road has been in this state for years yet we elected leaders. We lack a leader to help us in addressing our plights,” Andiego said.

Boda boda riders expressed hope that the rehabilitation works. They complained of constant breakages of their motorcycles.

A rider, Francis Odhiambo said the road has made them incur huge losses.”We spend a lot to repair our bikes due to the pathetic condition of this road,” he said.

He said its rehabilitation will relieve residents for suffering. “We thank Omollo who has seen it fit to come to our aid after our local leaders who have abandoned us when needed them most,” Odhiambo said.