Tarmacking of dilapidated Rongai roads begins following protests from residents
The national government has commenced works to repair some of the dilapidated roads in Ongata Rongai, Kitengela, Kiserian and adjacent areas in Kajiado County.
The Government through the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) has begun the construction of the first phase of the 2-kilometer stretch that has for years hampered economic development of the area due to its terrible state of Maasai Lodge Road.
The rehabilitation comes just days after area residents held protests over the deplorable state of roads in their neighbourhood.
Also read: Residents of Rongai to protest poor state of roads
According to roads authority), the works will involve, excavation, subgrade preparation, spreading of coarse aggregate and compaction, base course preparation, prime coat and spreading of bituminous mix.
A resident who has lived in the area for almost five years wondered why it had taken so long for the road to be upgraded.
“I bought a plot here almost 15 years ago, I took my time before I started constructing because the county kept promising us that the road will be ready next year. Eventually, I built and moved in. It’s the first time I’m seeing the usually dusty road being poured water because of the dust we have lived with for so long,” he said.
One tuk tuk rider was however not happy with the ongoing works, because they stand to lose their income.
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“If this road is tarmacked and completed, the amount we have been charging will come down. It is good for the residents but not for us,” one Kelvin Awino said.
Last month, are residents accused the Kajiado County Government of not acting on their complaints over the poor state of the roads despite earmarking them for tarmacking.
The residents blocked several roads disrupting traffic among them Maasai Lodge-Kitengela Road. They also burned tyres as they vowed not to relent until they are assured by the government that the roads would be tarmacked.
Motorists were left stranded by the demos that made the roads inaccessible, forcing them to use alternative routes to access Magadi Road.
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