Complete road or face our wrath, Ugunja locals tell CS James Macharia

Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi speaks to journalists after he and residents issued a four-week ultimatum to Transport and Infrastructure CS James Macharia to complete the construction of the Bondo-Siaya-Rangala road. PHOTO | NELCON ODHIAMBO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • MP Opiyo Wandayi threatened to table before Parliament a censure motion against the CS for failing to complete the road in time.
  • Residents threatened to block the Nairobi-Kisumu-Busia highway, which connects Kenya to EAC states, if the road is not complete in a month.

Residents of Ugunja Constituency in Siaya County have given Transport and Infrastructure James Macharia four weeks to complete the construction of the Sh1.75 billion Bondo-Siaya-Rangala road.

Led by their MP Opiyo Wandayi, residents threatened to block the busy Nairobi-Kisumu-Busia highway, which connects Kenya to other East African Community states, if the road is not completed in a month.

STALLED

Mr Wandayi also threatened to table before Parliament a censure motion against the CS for failing to complete the 42.5km road in time.

"We are demanding the immediate completion of the busy Bondo-Siaya-Rangala road, which serves at least 3,000 motorists daily.

The MP spoke to the Nation at the stalled Fuludhi Bridge along the Siaya-Rangala section of the road.

He hinted at initiating legal action against Mr Macharia for alleged misappropriation of funds allocated for the construction of the road.

PROMISE

Mr Joachim Nyamwaro, the Kenya National Highways Authority regional manager who earlier spoke to the Nation, assured residents that the construction of the bridge and the road would be complete soon after an agreement was reached with the contractor.

Mr Nyamwaro said that a team of experts and workers were sent to the site to put up the steel bridge.

“We have fully paid the contractor who has vowed to complete the construction works in one week. We have also instructed him to tamarc the remaining 3km stretch as well as fill the potholes at his own cost,” he said.

CONTRACT

Mr Nyamwaro added that the Associated Construction Company (K) Ltd was awarded the tender of construction of the 45km Bondo-Siaya-Rangala road by the Ministry of Roads in October 2008 and the contract period has not expired.

"The contract that was issued at a tune of $20 million (Sh1.7 billion) comprised of the construction of a standard bitumen road fully fitted with drainage structures, pipe culverts, a bridge and box culverts," said Mr Nyamwaro.