Residents in Busia have decried a poor road network in the border county.
Busia has relatively few tarmacked roads, with several of those in existence becoming a safety hazard to motorists and other road users due to their poor condition.
Residents say repeated complaints to relevant government agencies have done little to address the deteriorating state of the roads.One of the affected routes is the Busia-Kisumu road, large sections of which are badly damaged, contributing to frequent accidents that have claimed lives and left others with life-changing injuries.
Besides causing deaths and injuries, the poor state of the road has also resulted in significant losses for motorists, who say they spend large amounts of money repairing their vehicles.
Residents are questioning why the government has yet to address the condition of the road, which they say is critical to the country’s economy.
The Busia-Kisumu road is used by long-distance trucks and passenger buses transporting goods and people between Kenya and other countries in East and Central Africa.
Another affected route is the Busia-Malaba road. Despite being tarmacked a few years ago, several sections have developed potholes, making travel difficult. Residents have blamed the contractor for allegedly doing substandard work.
The deteriorating condition of the road is also hampering economic growth in Busia County, as the route connects the towns of Busia and Malaba, which host two major border crossings between Kenya and Uganda.
A similar situation has been reported on the Funyula-Port Victoria road, where potholes have become widespread from Daudi Road-Nambengele to Port Victoria town.
The Mungatsi-Musikoma road, whose construction was recently completed, has already begun developing potholes, further disrupting transport.
Residents are now calling on the government to rehabilitate the affected roads and expand the network of tarmacked roads to ease transportation and boost economic activity.
The concerns come weeks after President William Ruto pledged to launch the construction of several roads in the region, including the Butula-Nambale-Amukura-Kocholia road, which will link four sub-counties.
