The government has set aside more than Sh240 million towards the reconstruction of the damaged Migori bridge, according to Migori County Commissioner, Mr. Kisilu Mutua.
Mr. Mutua who was addressing a team of residents and civil society protesting the delay in rehabilitating the bridge assured that tender had already been awarded to a contractor who will soon start the works.
Heavy rains had damaged the main bridge and a side footpath forcing the closure of the bridge almost six months ago, causing jitters among the residents over the delays in repairing the facility.
The bridge forms a major link between Nairobi and Mwanza in the neighbouring Country Tanzania and its closure has affected both local and international trade along the Nairobi-Kisii-Sirare road corridor.
Mr. John Sawe, a trader along the corridor, lamented the time wasted navigating the now longer and pot-holed route to reach Sirare border town.
“We have been left for too long to spend more time on the road racing on alternative routes to ferry our goods to their destinations to the boarder town,” said Mr. Sawe.
A part from Mr. Sawe’s concern over the bridge, local business within Migori town has also been adversely affected.
River Migori which dissects Migori town in the middle, forming East and West sections of the town has over the years flooded causing mayhem around the Migori bridge area.
During the prolonged rains experienced in March, April and May this year, the river flooded destroying gabions erected under the Migori bridge, prompting the Kenya National Highways Authority to declare the bridge unsafe for use and subsequently closing it for motor vehicle traffic.
The delay in reconstructing and reopening the bridge for use has triggered an outcry from the residents and mainly politicians who now view the delay as political.
Some claim the government is not moving fast to repair the bridge as a bait to woe voters in the area to vote for President Ruto in 2027.
But County Commissioner, Mr. Mutua urged the local people not to politicise the issue saying government tenders and final project/programme works have procedures and guidelines to follow which sometimes take a bit of time to finalise.
“Let us be patient and give time to the government and the contractor to work on this bridge without bringing in political innuendo on why there is a delay in repairing the bridge,” he said.
By George Agimba
