By Obegi Malack
Tarmacking of 64 kilometre road in Kajiado North constituency by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd Company is now nearing completion.
Kenya Rural Roads Authority ((KeRRA) Ag. Director General Eng. Philemon Kandie said Kajiado County Government should ensure any building in the area has a septic tank to prevent sewage which may damage the new road.
The DG had visited the site where he was updated on its progress, he was taken through issues that need to be solved by the contractor such as allowing people to access their homes and working on pedestrian ways.
The meeting was attended by Municipalities Managers David Kobaai (Ngong), Parsimei Gitau (Kajiado),Nkaimurunya MCA James Waisha, chair of the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NAMATA) Peter Mositet and Gataka Road Residents Welfare Association chair Leiyan Roimen.
Kobaai said the Gataka road will decongest the towns and transport from Ngong to Ongata Rongai will be easier.
Roimen noted the main issue was unattended section 2. 4 kms DO offices to Maasai Mall junction, which is unmotorable. He said the contractor had dug the road and left it unattended for a long time.
The contractor had claimed he had no clear maps on the size of the section and the road had water pipes, saying that is why they started tarmacking from other sections. The attendees said the map will be provided since it is available.
Most residents had been blocked from accessing their homes, others had to refill the trenches dug on the 2.4km section to make their homes accessible.
Residents who spoke with County Press urged the contractor to focus on the 2.4 Km before moving to other areas. They said tarmacking of some sections to connect Matasia Ngong road should have been done later since Gataka to Ongata Rongai section was a priority and isused by motorists to ease the Magadi Road jam.
The Chinese company was awarded the Sh2 billion tender in 2018 after applying on May 2017. Residents urged the firm to upgrade alternative feeder roads to be used by motorists who are inconvenienced during the long rains.
At one time residents had complained and planned a major protest on February 2020 to force the government to ensure the work is speeded up.
Nkaimurunya Ward MCA James Waisha said work on the 2.4 km had not been done because there were issues of relocating water pipes. The Oloolaiser Water and Sewerage Company (OWSCO) have now reached a consensus on how to remove the pipes.
Residents had also questioned how the contractor was allowed to tarmac the roads without issues of relocating power lines. The relocating has been an issue during construction of other roads in the region.
At one time MP Joseph Manje accused Kenya Power of demanding that the construction company pay Sh28 million to relocate its power lines. He said the charges were too high and that was causing delay in tarmacking of the road.
He had appealed to the power company to reduce the charges to allow work to proceed.
The MP’s office said they held a meeting and the matter was solved, but the wires are still hanging dangerous on the tarmacked road.
The contractor has already tarmacked the Gataka road, Embulbul to Rongai DO offices and is now proceeding to Tuskys Chap Chap to connect Magadi Road. He had also done some sections in Olkeri and connected the Matasia Ngong road.
On the Maasai Lodge Rimpa road, the work was sub contracted to another Chinese company and the construction has begun.