The Kenya National Highway Authority has raised concern over the encroachment of road reserves in Kiambu county.
However, residents have accepted to move away, so as to pave way for roads construction.
KENHA reported that a lot of people who have occupied those lands have built kiosks, shops, green groceries while others have erected fences.
During several public participations at different centers in Lari constituency, the authority revealed to to locals that, a lot of roads have been approved for tarmacking.
The authority officials further informed locals that all road reserves are government gazatted roads, and they need to be respected and left alone to be used as they had been planned.
In one of the public participation held at Nyambari area in Lari constituency on Friday, Eng Maxwell Kamwana from KENHA revealed that their surveyors have established that some beacons they had placed were uprooted.
The Nyambari public participation was conducted on regard to Nyambari, Uplands Githunguri Ruiru road knowns as (B115), whose construction is set to start anytime.
He said that, “Some people have built fences, kiosks and other structures on them. Let us respect the government lands and leave them alone. Those who are already settled on them, please move away”.
Eng Kamwana also decried that some people have been uprooting them, once mounted by the KENHA, saying it was illegal.
The Kenha official also revealed that the government ended up on reclassifying the (B115) road and upgraded it from class C to B.
The public participation was attended by area member of parliament Mburu Kahangara, deputy county commissioner Samuel Kariuki, KENHA senior officials, Shengli Company who is the contractor among other leaders.
A resident Stephen Waweru who is popularly known as “Western”, said the road is expected to open positive impact to the local community who are mostly dairy and horticultural farmers.
He said that locals grow and sell vegetables such as kales, cabbages, spinach, carrots as well as rearing dairy cows.
“Our people have been working hard to earn a living by planting vegetables that they know that they will be selling them everyday. Milk too is sold everyday, but our farmers have been frustrated by poor road network” he said.
Waweru thanked President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza government for considering the impact of the road towards the country’s economy, adding that local farmers as well as traders will benefit.
A trader Simon Njonge from Uplands trading center said they have accepted to move away since the road will improve their businesses.
“We cannot object development. We have been appealing for tarmac roads in our region. Now the process has started. We shall help KENHA and the government to speak to our people to remove structures so as to pave way for development” Njonge said.
On his part, the area MP said the road will ease movement and open up the area for business.
Kahangara also revealed that, KENHA also conducted a similar public participation at Nyanduma ward in the constituency, aimed at sensitizing the public on construction of a 4.1km road that stretches from Kagwe town up to Mung’ere.
“We are happy since we have been feeling left our in development. Once these roads are complete, our constituency movement as well as trade will be opened up” Kahangara said.
Kahangara also asked the contractor to consider offering local jobless youth with casual jobs adding that to also offer skilled labour to those who have qualifications.
