A grader working on one of the roads in Eldoret city /MATHEWS NDANYI
World Bank-funded road construction in parts of Eldoret City has ground to a halt, prompting protests from residents who have been forced to endure the poor state of infrastructure.
The bank and the county have been implementing the road construction projects under the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvements Project, but which have stalled for two months.
Uasin Gishu governor, Jonathan Bii, confirmed that the work had stopped due to a delay in the release of funds from the partner.
“However, I have spoken to them and the funding will be available soon,” he said.
Affected areas where projects were underway include Mwanzo, Shauri, Maili Nne and Kipkaren estates.
The governor asked residents to be patient, as they are working with the Bank to ensure the quick completion of the roads.
The contractor suspended the work after excavating the sites, leading to poor drainage, with the ongoing heavy rains exacerbating the situation.
Large stones in some areas endanger the lives of residents.
“We have been left with roads in a terrible state, causing problems because our children are not even safe walking to school due to trenches and large stones left abandoned on the roads,” said Ben Kaiti, a resident of Mwanzo.
Since Eldoret was elevated to become Kenya’s fifth city, the county administration has partnered with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority and the World Bank, who are helping to finance the projects.
The new roads, which will cost over two billion shillings, will give the city a new look and ease the movement of goods and people involved in economic activities in the region.
Under the programme, the upgrade of roads and the construction of drainage systems to manage storm waters, which have been a long-standing challenge for business owners and residents, will be addressed.
"The roads improvement plan we have for our city will involve the construction of drainage systems and the tarmacking of more roads. We want to achieve a smooth flow of traffic in Eldoret city by the end of this year,” he said.
“Eldoret is a key economic hub in this region and once we complete the new roads, we will open up the town for an even better trade environment to benefit farmers and other residents.”
He recently inspected some of the roadworks, which include the tarmacking of Bandaptai Road and paving of Farmers Street in Eldoret City.
Also being expanded are walkways for pedestrians along all major roads.
Joseph Lagat, the Roads, Transport and Public Works executive, said they are planning to establish an asphalt plant that will operate as an independent entity to further boost infrastructure development projects.
