By Christopher Omondi.
Access roads lead to specific places or access other roads. In recent years, Kisumu County has done tremendously well in terms of road infrastructure and thus there has been a need to do more to ensure accessibility. However, there have been recent demolitions in Manyatta, Kondele ward and Kamakowa in Railways ward in order to create room for the access roads, which are presumed to lead nowhere.
In Manyatta, Kondele ward, there were demolitions around March and April from the callbox area straight to Gudka with businesses, homes and even churches purely destroyed to pave way. The access way however, is leading to no significant route.
“It’s been months since the demolitions took place, my house was destroyed around the St. Luke’s church area, no compensation from my landlord or the responsible body which in this case was the County Government. I moved to another place but have never recovered from the loss’’, said Anthony Ogutu, a resident. “Nothing has been done here in terms of progress, plus where is this road headed, it’s just like they brought in a large machine to move us out’’, he added.
In kamakowa, Railways ward it’s the same case and maybe even worse as in Kasarani as the same demolitions were done to pave way to an access road leading nowhere raising questions from the public on the people planning the projects.
“This is a disgrace, just to ask a simple question, who does these projects. Are they aware of these places because a clear-minded person cannot demolish houses to make a road that is headed? Like in this case they made this one and left it at the railway line, where is it headed?, what are their plans for the project and when are they planning to complete the projects’’, said Lawrence Odhiambo a resident of Kasarani in Obunga.
These projects are not progressing and have no clear route or any link with any active routes in the area. It is frustrating that even with the demolitions and destruction, the projects are yet to progress. In the case of Kasarani it is the worse as the demolitions left holes in the murram road making it muddy and flooded during rains and portholes.
In the case of Manyatta it’s more about the completion of the access road to make it more efficient to move and also to connect with the Koyango-Carwash route.
