First tarmac road brings relief to Mbeere South

An excavator works on the Kiritiri–Mariari–Mutuabare road in Embu county/ ALICE WAITHERA

Residents of Mbeere South subcounty in Embu have welcomed the national government’s decision to tarmac the 30-kilometre Kiritiri–Mariari–Mutuabare road, terming it a long-overdue development milestone.

The road, which serves as a key transport link in the semi-arid region, has been in poor condition for decades, making movement difficult and costly for residents, traders and farmers.

Its deplorable state hindered access to markets, schools, health facilities and other essential services.

The upgrading of the road to bitumen standards is being undertaken by the national government through the Kenya Rural Roads Authority.

Residents said the project will significantly improve connectivity and unlock the economic potential of the subcounty by easing access to markets for agricultural produce.

“This road will act as a by-pass to Mwingi in Kitui. It has been unusable during rains due to mud and got too dusty during dry seasons,” he said.

Mbeere South is a major producer of green grams, millet and mangoes, but farmers have for years struggled to transport their produce to Kiritiri town and other markets due to poor road infrastructure.

As a result, large quantities of mangoes often go to waste at the farm level, leading to losses for farmers.

The presence of heavy machinery, including bulldozers, excavators, loaders and graders, along the road has renewed optimism among residents who said the promise of a tarmacked road had previously been used as a campaign pledge by successive political regimes without fruition.

One resident observed that the project, which was launched in November last year, is expected to spur socio-economic growth in an area that has lagged behind in development for many years.

“We’re happy because even the value of our property will go up. This is the first tarmac in our subcounty,” he said.

He pointed out that many locals have suffered snake bites as they walked along the road and women have given birth on the roadside as they travel to the health centre at Kiritiri town.

But with the tarmac, he said, they will be able to board matatus to their destination at a cheaper cost.

Transport operators have also expressed relief, saying they have been incurring high maintenance costs due to frequent breakdowns caused by the poor state of the road.

James Nguku, a boda boda operator, said they required constant maintenance due to the rough terrain and that spare parts in the interior parts of the sub-county are too expensive.

“It takes too much time to travel from Kiritiri to Mutuabare because the road is rough and slippery. We will make more profits and passengers will have to pay less once it’s completed.”

Local youths have also been provided employment opportunities.

Elijah Murimi, a civil engineer, said many have been assigned jobs as casual labourers while graduates from technical and vocational institutions are able to gain hands-on experience and improve their skills.

The project is expected to be completed within 30 months.

The residents called on the national government to roll out similar infrastructure projects across the county to boost rural economies and create more employment opportunities for young Kenyans.