A section of leaders from Taita Taveta County wants the national government to halt the planned construction of an Sh300 billion express road from Nairobi to Mombasa.
Led by Governor Granton Samboja, the leaders have said that the project will affect the lives of the residents.
They noted that hundreds of residents will be displaced if the 473-kilometre road is implemented.
Voi MP Jones Mlolwa also backed him on the issue, saying that the project is not viable.
Mlolwa said that the residents are not ready to allow the project to proceed because it will affect them negatively.
He reminded County Commissioner Rodah Onyancha to ensure that the project is suspended.
This is after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) conducted a feasibility test of the project.
“We have small farms and we will not allow the road to pass through them since people will be displaced,” Mlolwa said, as quoted by Standard.
The leaders now want the government to seek an alternative route for the project to continue as planned.
They said no public participation has been involved in the project noting that the involvement of the general public is necessary for the construction.