Outcry in Bungoma as construction of 45km Misikhu-Brigadier Road takes seven years
Residents of Bungoma County have expressed frustration with the slow pace of construction of the Misikhu-Brigadier road.
The 45-kilometer road, a partnership between the national government and the county government of Bungoma, has been under construction since 2016, with a total cost of KES 1.3 billion.
Many residents are concerned about the state of the road, which is often impassable during the rainy season and creates a lot of dust during the dry season.
Fred Waswa, a bodaboda rider who uses the road, has appealed to the county government of Bungoma to communicate with the national government to expedite the work before the onset of the rainy season.
Judith Simiyu, a resident of Namarambi village adjacent to the road, also expressed her frustration with the lack of progress, stating that “it has been a problem with the dust that is coming from the road making their lives difficult as they can’t wash the cloth and the dust has made the school going kid to have continuous cough.”
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka expressed his dissatisfaction with the work of the contractor and called for their removal, stating that “the contractor is too slow and he has let us down, we now want Roads CS Kipchumba Murkomen to remove him immediately and give us another one.”
The issue of the lazy contractor was previously raised by former Roads CS James Macharia, who installed the current contractor. However, the new contractor has also been faulted for the slow pace of construction.
The road connects many farmers to markets where they can sell their goods. Eugene Wamalwa, former Defense CS, assured residents that a lasting solution to the road had been found, stating that former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government had budgeted KSH 1.7 billion towards the completion of the road in Tongaren, Bungoma North.
Despite promises by previous governments, the road remains in a poor state, causing hardship for residents and hindering economic development. Tongaren constituency is a vital grain basket for the country, and many residents are calling for the government to expedite the work.