Tana River residents protest bad roads
By Monica Kagia
Hundreds of residents of Bura constituency in Tana River County on Sunday held peaceful demonstrations to protest poor infrastructure after the road linking Bura and Madogo was cut off by floods.
The angry residents carrying placards accused the national government of dragging its feet on repairs with motorists heading to Garissa finding it difficult to access the other side. They said seven people had so far died after being washed away by floods.
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Led by Tana River Woman Representative Rehema Hassan and Assembly Majority Leader Ibrahim Salah Adomow, the residents demanded immediate removal of the local contractor who was given work to tarmac the road saying he did a shoddy job.
The leaders issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to take action or else they would close down the road and eject the contractor from the site.
This came as residents accused some local leaders of colluding with the contractor to loot funds allocated for the tarmacking of the road.
Speaking in Bura, Hassan said Tana River is rich with so many resources including mangoes and milk but said business is low because investors are shunning away due to bad roads. ‘’We do not want to see any more local contractors. We want international contractors,’’ she said.
Adamow called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene as earlier promised to ensure the road is tarmacked in a proper way saying the current project was a scandal.
He called on the EACC, DPP and Auditor General to investigate the contract claiming massive corruption in the deal.
“All Kenyans are equal. Tana River residents know their rights, so stop joking with the lives of our people,’’ he said.
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