By Christopher Omondi.
The Mbita-Awaya bridge in Railways ward, Kisumu County, has been in a state of ruin for the previous years despite promises from local leaders to get work done on the risky bridge, which connects the numerous locals from Mbita and Segasega. This state has left the road inaccessible to motorists, and even pedestrians find it difficult during rainy periods and floods.
The local leaders in the area have been accused of giving empty promises, with the member of parliament for Kisumu Central constituency, Mr. Joshua Oron, and the Member of County Assembly for Railways ward, Mr. Sammy Onyango, mentioned by locals to have spoken to them directly about the bridge.
“The area member of the County Assembly was here at this bridge, that is in November 2024, with a contractor; they commenced work in this bridge with a budget of over Ksh4.5 million, and no work was done. At this point, we will have to work on this bridge on our own because any time they bring contractors from outside, we end up in the same state. When it rains, the flood in this area from the Awaya River makes the conditions even worse’’, these are the sentiments of Alphonse Ogaye in a local baraza.
In some cases, accidents and injuries have been reported, especially by strangers who are not familiar with the area. “A lot of injuries have been reported in this bridge as many people who are not familiar with the terrain misstep while stepping on the bridge. Many students who come from this area of Segasega also experience difficulties when trying to access Kudho Primary School and Kudho High School. They have to walk the longer distance through Kamakowa junction to get to school, and as a result, academic performances are undermined as most people who get injured in this bridge are school children or kids who reside in these areas.
It is really sad for the people of the Railways ward, especially for those in Segasega and Mbita, who face difficulties accessing their homes. The kids who also cannot access their schools on time because of the bridge, and the motorists who cannot access the route because of the bridge, really do deserve services to be delivered as they are taxpayers and responsible citizens.
