The government has disbursed Sh20 million to reconstruct a destroyed bridge in Nyamache town, Bobasi Constituency of Kisii County to ease the movement of people and goods.

Area Member of Parliament (MP), Innocent Obiri said the fund had been released to Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) for the bridge.

He said residents have been suffering since floods swept away the bridge in May last year.

“I laud the residents for their patience. I had to wait for the government to allocate funds to reconstruct the bridge,” Obiri told People Daily on the phone yesterday.

According to Roads and Transport Principal Secretary (PS), Joseph Mbugua, the delay in reconstructing the bridge was due to the delay in budgetary allocation.

“The contractor is expected to be on-site by September to undertake the works for six months,” Mbugua said in response to a petition sought by the MP in Parliament through the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure.

The PS said they expect the bridge to be completed by March next year and the road opened for use.

Bridge links

Bobasi Youth Lobby group chairman Kevin Ogechi said the bridge links Nyamache town, government offices; hospitals, schools and residents were suffering to access them.

The official said residents were forced to travel long distances to access government services and ferry goods to markets and incurred huge transport costs.

“It will be a reprieve to traders, pedestrians and matatu operators who have been suffering for more than a year,” Ogechi said.

He said the bridge was constructed during the colonial era and had served the residents for long, and it’s reconstruction was long overdue.

The broken bridge has cut off transport between Nyamache Town and neighbouring areas.

The protests were the latest of a spate of demonstrations led by area MCAs, Michael Motume (Masige West) and Jacob Bagaka (Masige East) and the deputy governor.

Access to the business district, sub-county hospital and local administrative offices have been affected since the bridge was washed away, the leaders said.