Migori
Thursday, March 28, 2024
KNA by Geoffrey Makokha
Residents of Nyatike Sub-County have raised concerns over the stalled Migori-Sori Road project that has hindered their business and movement.
Motorists, in particular, expressed dissatisfaction over the stalled road project that commenced in early 2019 with a significant portion of the road, stretching from Nyakweri to Lwanda Konyango, left unfinished.
David Ojala, a frequent motorist said that he has been subjected to vehicle repairs every time he uses the road which is in a bad state, especially the stretch from Nyakweri to Lwanda Konyango.
He claimed that it takes them almost two hours instead of 20 minutes to travel from Lwanda to Nyakweri, a distance of less than 30 Kilometers.
Nyatike Member of Parliament Tom Odege while speaking to journalists in Migori town said that the residents of Nyatike have found it difficult to access neighbouring markets due to the sorry state of the Masara-Sori road.
The Legislator explained that the disagreement between the contractor and the government due payments has further derailed the commencement of the project.
He urged KeRRA to ensure that the Masara-Sori road project resumes to ease the burden of movement for the residents.
The Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA)-Migori Region Low Volume Seal Roads report of 2023 showed the commencement date of the Masara- Sori road project to be January 2019 with a completion date of June 2021.
However, the timeline was revised and the project was expected to end in April 2022.
According to the report, the contractor who suspended all the upgrading works in December 2021, had minimally resumed works and was doing routine performance works on the substantially completed sections.
The KeRRA report on Masara-Sori road also pointed out some of the project challenges that included restrictions issued by the government to contain the spread of Covid 19, the rainfall experienced over the area, delayed payments to the contractor and the delay in relocation of power poles on construction road corridors.
Ojalo said that despite being a busy road, nothing has been done on the road which has huge holes and trenches endangering the lives of the locals and motorists.
Last year during a county meeting for the heads of departments, the Migori County Regional Director Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) Engineer Joshua Michoma said that the commencement of the construction of the Masara-Sori Road was halted due to the 2023 October-December heavy rains.
Michoma however, said that the operations of the roads were to resume early this year.
Courtesy; KNA
