Mbeere North: Residents of Mbeere North Constituency in Embu County are upbeat following the approval of the construction of a 45 km link road to bitumen standards at a cost of Sh3.2 billion by the National Government. The Gikuyari-Karambari-Kirie-Mugwanjogu-Karerema-Ishiara road connects the three wards of the constituency, namely Muminji, Nthawa, and Evurore, and is anticipated to spur economic growth in the area.
According to Kenya News Agency, the road’s construction is set to begin by the end of this year and is expected to open up the area for business and transport to the neighboring counties of Meru and Kitui. The announcement was made by the immediate former MP Geoffrey Ruku, recently appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development, and Special Programmes, through his social media pages.
Residents, especially from Muminji Ward, have termed the development as historical, as the area has never had even an inch of tarmac road since independence. Led by local leader Joab Konji, the residents recounted the hardships they faced, especially during the rainy season when the road becomes unmotorable due to flooding, mud, and erosion.
Three years ago, 11 elderly people died after a bus they were traveling in plunged into the flooded Thura River, an incident residents attributed to the poor state of the road. Joab Konji lamented, “We have waited for this since time immemorial. We have witnessed a situation where national examination papers had to be delivered by a helicopter due to the deplorable state of the road.”
Another resident, David Mugo, stated that the road has made the transportation of people and goods difficult and costly, hindering the area’s economic growth. “The poor road has exacerbated existing challenges stemming from harsh climatic and limited resources associated with the area classified as semi-arid,” he said. He noted that farmers cultivating muguka, one of the main cash crops from the area, were forced to sell at lower prices due to higher transportation costs, thus reducing their overall profitability.
Youth leader Collins Kithweri mentioned that the majority of youth in the boda boda sector have had their businesses affected due to regular breakdowns of their motorcycles, while others have suffered injuries caused by falls.