Farmers breathe sigh of relief as road project resumes

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Farmers in Kabare Ward, Gichugu Constituency, are a relieved lot following the resumption of the long-delayed tarmacking of the Riakithiga-Ngungu-Kiang’ombe road.

The road project, which was launched more than two years ago but later stalled after the contractor withdrew machinery from the site, has resumed, raising hopes among coffee and dairy farmers who have endured years of poor road conditions.

Residents say completion of the road will ease transportation of farm produce to markets and coffee factories while reducing post-harvest losses.

Coffee farmer Peter Mathenge welcomed the resumption, saying it had restored hope among residents who had waited for the project after several unfulfilled promises.

“After the project was launched, the contractor withdrew the machinery, leaving us to struggle with the deplorable state of the road,” Mathenge said.

He expressed hope that the contractor would now remain on-site until the project is completed. During an inspection of the road in April, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki assured residents that the project would proceed without further delays.

Mathenge called on the national government to release the necessary resources to ensure the project is completed within the stipulated timeline, noting that farmers had suffered for a long time due to the poor road network.

He said farmers have struggled to transport coffee to factories and other farm produce to markets in Kutus town. The poor condition of the road has also affected milk collection, particularly during the rainy season.

Another farmer, Angela Kibicho, said residents had been spending large amounts of money transporting coffee to factories, while some farmers were forced to carry their produce on their backs over long distances.

Kibicho said many women had suffered backaches as they walked long distances carrying farm produce due to the poor state of the road.

The tarmacking of the Riakithiga-Ngungu-Kiang’ombe road is among the area link road projects being undertaken in the Gichugu Constituency. The project is also part of a wider programme to construct 510 kilometers of new roads in Kirinyaga County at a cost of Sh29.8 billion.

For farmers in Kabare Ward, the return of machinery to the road has renewed optimism that the long-awaited project will finally be completed, opening up the area to better markets and more efficient transportation of agricultural produce.

By Mutai Kipng’etich

Reporting originally appeared via Kenya News Agency. Read the full source for additional context.