From Left: Mr Tom Omai, Machakos County Chief Engineer, Mr Morris Aluanga Machakos Chief Transport Officer and Kithimani Ward MCA Sammy Nduva on the Makutano-Kithimani road on July 16, 2014. PHOTO | WILLIAM OERI NATION MEDIA GROUP
There is tarmac, gravel and chips of stones on what used to be an earth road that links Makutano and Kithimani wards. This upgrade cost the county government Sh650 million in a record three months. It has, however, elicited divergent views.
When the rubber meets the Makutano-Kithimani road, one realises that the tarmac is not entirely smooth, since the car vibrates. In fact, you can actually hear the tyres rubbing against gravel. It is not the same as driving on the Thika Superhighway.
Machakos county Chief Engineer Tom Omai, who happened to be the one driving, gave reasons.
“For this area, we opted for surface-dressing. It means we used bitumen and stone chips. It involves a thick layer of bitumen spread on the prepared surface and then a layer of chips covers the tar. It is then compressed with a roller. That explains why the chips are moving. The bitumen will eventually rise and cover them,” he said.
He added that embedding of chippings into the surface would take time.
Along the road are schools, markets and homesteads. Speeding cars leave a cloud of white dust behind.
On some sections, we encounter workers with brooms. They are cleaning it in preparation for marking by another group.
Before its upgrade, motorists would take up to three hours from Machakos to Kithimani. The journey now takes 45 minutes.
HOLES FORMING
Mr Sila Wambua, a Kithimani resident is ecstatic. “The value of my plot has doubled with the opening of this road but the road could be having minor defects. Holes have begun forming,” he says.
His sentiments are shared by traders in Kaaba Market. Mr Philip Mutua, a welder, says he was concerned about the loose chips. “It is now easier for me to transport my products and for customers to come to my workshop. My only prayer is that the problem we have seen will be rectified before it is too late,” he says.
There have been claims by some MCAs that the road is not up to standard. However, Mr George Kioko Luka, the County Executive Member in charge of Transport, Road and Public Works blames saboteurs.
“We received reports on Monday about a group digging holes on a section of the road. They fled on realising that they had been spotted by our foremen,” he says.
Indeed, about 10 kilometres to the end of the Makutano-Kithimani stretch, there are patches of freshly repaired potholes.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) puts the road in the C100 category. This means it links important centres to each other or to other major roads.
Heavy vehicles are not permitted on this road. A Kenha official said a road that was barely a month old should not have excess loose chippings.
He added that road-making was a step-by-step process and if a mistake was not corrected at the initial stage, there will be a problem upon completion.
Nonetheless, the Machakos Chief Officer of Transport, Mr Morris Aluanga, said the road was built by 11 different contractors and if there was a problem, it should be addressed section-wise.
“Each contractor was allocated three kilometres to reduce the cost and time. Condemning the whole road is not fair,” he said.
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