Kiambu: Residents of Kiambu County have expressed their happiness and relief as a major bridge connecting Mariquita-Gituamba villages nears completion.
According to Kenya News Agency, the project, which is being implemented by Kiambu county government, started in August 2024, and is expected to improve the lives of residents, through increased access to amenities, enhanced safety and encourage economic benefits. The bridge which connects the two wards is also meant to enhance transportation of tea leaves, milk, and other agricultural produce, due to the area’s affluence in agriculture.
The bridge will benefit approximately 300 residents and 60 homesteads including school-going children, farmers, and traders. Philomena Muniu, one of the residents, says the project is a dream come true as it has been highly anticipated and would relieve them from carrying tons of tea leaves on their backs across the river. “With the construction of this bridge, trucks and motorbikes can pass freely enabling transport of more tea leaves and other agricultural products from one buying centre to another. This will significantly reduce the workload for us,” Muniu added.
Despite having several challenges during the construction of the bridge, “we are doing our level best to ensure the bridge is completed by the end of February 2025,” stated Ishmael Njuguna, the project contractor. He further explained due to the geographical location of the bridge; a lot of changes had to be done to the initial plans hence the delay. The contractor also cited weather conditions like rainfall which stalled the project as they could not build when the river was flooded.
The bridge is on its finishing touches with only the back filling waiting to be done before it is officially launched. The project is among others that align with governor Wamatangi’s vision of “Making Kiambu great again.”