Gatuanyaga residents to get first tarmac road 57 years after independence

Residents of Gatuanyaga Location in Thika East Sub-County on Wednesday could not hide their joy after the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) kick-started the process to upgrade Gatuanyaga Ringroad into bitumen standards.

The first ever stretch of tarmac in the area and in extension Thika East, will cover 24 kilometres, stretching from Muguga-Ngurai-Munyu-Githima-Kang'oki-Kisii and back to the Thika-Garissa Highway.

The residents were ecstatic because they said they felt successive governments had marginalised the area for decades by failing to develop its infrastructure.

While speaking during a stakeholders consultation meeting organised by KURA to collect views and opinions from the members of the public, area MP Eng. Patrick Wainaina expressed his joy that years of lobbying for the road had eventually paid off.

He thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta for allocating KES. 1 billion for the project.

“This is a milestone project. The people of Gatuanyaga have suffered since independence especially during rainy season. It is a blessing to my electorates and we expect the economic viability of the area to shoot threefold,” said Wainaina.

He added that the road construction works would start in November 2020 to take up to 30 months to complete.

“This is a Class B road whose construction is able to withstand heavy trucks for the next 20 years. It will be 6.5 metres wide with provision for pedestrian walkways and a lane for the cyclists. I have also promised the residents that I will source for street lights once the project is complete,” explained the MP.

He requested anyone that might have encroached on the road corridor to vacate otherwise the government would demolish their houses to pave way for the construction.

Wainaina also appealed to the contractor, Interways Contractors, to ensure they gave job opportunities to the local youth and ensure they did some quality work.

The tarmacking of this road is among projects being implemented by the national government through the Kenya Urban Roads Authority in Thika Town Constituency. The government has also set aside KES. 700 million for the maintenance of the Thika Town CBD roads which will also happen over the same period.