Kiwanja Ndege residents in Lugari call for construction of a bridge

Kiwanja Ndege residents in Lugari location, Lugari sub county have accused local leaders from the area of lying to them over construction of a modern bridge on River Kipkaren to link the village with Bondeni village across in Chekalini location.

Speaking to West Media, the residents led by 88 year old mzee James Kwayela Nalwa said it was regrettable how leaders had used the bridge to gain political mileage as the locals continued suffering.

They said they have been facing a lot of difficulties to cross the river since the area  MP Ayub Savula ordered youths to destroy a crossing they relied on early last  year.

“Our MP ordered the demolition of the crossing we depended on early last year and promised to ensure a modern bridge was build here within two weeks but it’s regrettable two years later nothing has been done so far,” said Mzee Nalwa.

They lamented that their appeal to the leaders both from the national and County government to help construct the bridge had fallen on deaf ears. “On several occasions Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has sent a team of engineers to assess the site and promised to put up a good bridge for us within two months but up to this moment nothing is going on,” said Mzee Nalwa.

On his part, Dickson Wasilwa lamented that communication had been inhibited for thousands of residents between Lugari on the other side and Chekalini.

He said the destroyed crossing  served as a shortcut for Chekalini residents to access government offices at Lugari and Lumakanda.

Also, there were hundreds of children from Lugari side who used to cross the river to go to schools like Mwivona and Mulwanda primary in Chekalini
ward as well as Chekalini polytechnic while others crossed the river from Chekalini side to go to Kiwanja Ndege primary school in Lugari ward.

He also noted that the situation was affecting business between the two sides as a majority of traders depend greatly on the crossing. “We had people who used to cross from Chekalini to trade and also work in Lugari
and vice versa but now its impossible ,” said Wasilwa.

The residents have now been force to travel all the way to Lugari station or Kipkaren about 20 kilometers away to cross the river and they are passionately appealing to the leaders who include Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, Lugari MP Ayub Savula, Lugari ward Member of County Assembly Musa Wangila Makhapila and his Chekalini counterpart Kenneth Indusa and other well wishers to jointly facilitate construction of a modern bridge in the area.