The Nyandarua County Government will give priority to repair of roads in its Supplementary Budget, as it seeks aid of Sh.200 million from the National Government emergency kitty.
While regretting that the heavy down pour experienced across the country had damaged roads in the County, Leshau Pondo Ward Member of the County Assembly (MCA), Kamau Gathungu and Roads and Public Works County Executive Committee (CEC) member, Ndung’u Wangenye, noted that there was need to make sure the roads were repaired with urgency.
The MCA revealed that the Assembly had met with the Executive and agreed to slush funds from other departments and allocate it to the Department of Roads.
“In the recent past the County has experienced heavy down pour that has greatly resulted in excessive damage of our roads.
“We the MCAs recently held a meeting with the Governor and decided we shall wave some funds from other projects and allocate them for emergency repair of these roads,” said Gathungu.
The CEC Roads noted that they had already written to the National Government, seeking its support from the emergency funds to supplement the local funds which the County Government is using to repair the roads.
Wangenye said work on various roads is expected to start this week with the rains having subsided.
“We have had the worst period in the road sector for the last three months due to the heavy rains. That is why we urgently need financial support from the National Government so that we can immediately start the repair works,” he noted.
The Executive noted that among the repairs they were to give priority were major bridges that have been washed away by the rains.
“The County Government has set aside Sh. 28 million meant to repair Gachuha Bridge in Kipipiri, Wangui Bridge in Ndaragwa and Muua Bridge in Mirangine Sub-county which are set to get Sh. 8.2 million and Sh. 10 million respectively,” said Wangenye.
The County had received Sh.129 million from the Road Maintenance Levy Fund which he said was a drop in the ocean, considering that the vast county was mainly served by County roads.
By Jesse Mwitwa
