The business fraternity in Githunguri has called upon the county government of Kiambu to repair roads in the area to facilitate easy mobility.
Speaking from his office on Thursday, the chairman of Githunguri Traders Association, Jonathan Minutia, said that the poor roads have been worsened by recent heavy downpour in the area, rendering them impassable.
“The roads have been in poor condition since March when the rainy season kicked off, therefore, affecting our operations. We are urging our leaders to step in and repair the roads so that farmers can deliver their produce to the markets with ease,” he said.
Samuel Mwangi, a trader in Gathanji area said that the deplorable roads were a major hindrance during transportation of his farm produce from the region to various markets was proofing to be expensive as the public service transporters were charging more than before.
On the other hand, public service operators in the area are also crying foul over the same, saying they need immediate intervention especially the Githunguri – Ruiru road.
Peter Ngure, a driver of one of the matatu plying the route, said the poor roads usually made them spend a lot of time on the roads trying to pave through. He added that the poor roads also contributed towards damaging the vehicles hence making some become un-road worthy within a short time.
A bodaboda operator said the bumpy rides as a result of the terrible roads are the order of the day were causing havoc to their motorbikes. He appealed to leaders in the area to address the issue, following a series of complaints from customers.
According to the Constituency Road Officer Sub-County, Joseph Kiberu, residents were contributing to the problem by cutting down trees and dumping leaves or even wastes in the ditches.
This waste, he said, later blocked the roads, forcing the water to divert to the roads, thus destroying them and so they should be responsible so that they do not block rain water.
The officer said that Githunguri –Ruiru road was not under their docket as it is under the Kenya National Highway Authority (KENHA) which manages the roads under A, B and C. He added that as for the Kenya Rural Road Authority (KERRA) and the county government they dealt with the roads under D, E, T and U for rehabilitation and maintenance.
He mentioned that for any construction, rehabilitation or maintenance of road to be done they have to call for a meeting with the Constituency Roads Committee (CRC) for approval.