Road engineers from Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) have started repairing a section of the newly constructed Port Reitz - Moi International Airport road which caved in on Sunday.
President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the Sh5.2 billion road on January 9, 2016, saying it would boost tourism and business operations to and from the port.
However, on Sunday, residents and motorists using the road expressed fears after a section of the road sunk, endangering lives of motorists.
Angry residents demanded answers as to why a newly constructed road could sink. They accused the contractor, China Wu Yi, of doing a shoddy job.
Confirming the incident, Mombasa County Transport and Public Works CeC Tawfiq Balala said the affected section lie within the island-bound service road near a footbridge.
He said reconfiguration of the traffic flow had been instituted to allow for reinstatement of the affected section.
"It appears like an old well. It seems the filling of the well was not done properly during construction of the road hence settlement of material. The contractor, China Wu Yi is already on site to fix it," said the CeC, adding that the failed section was being exposed to establish the depth and lateral extent of the damage.
The project was jointly funded by the British Government through TradeMark East Africa and the Government of Kenya.
The British Government released at Sh2.7 billion, while the Kenyan Government released Sh2.5 billion to compensate affected land owners.
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