A section of residents from Mugatsi and Buyofu in Nambale sub county, Busia County held a peaceful demonstration to protest the poor state of Mungatsi to Buyofu road.
Led by Mungatsi bodaboda operators’ association chairperson Dennis Muyodi and youth leader Christopher Butsunzu, the locals decried that the dilapidated road has caused them untold suffering as they go about their daily activities, “This road has become totally impassible and we are going through a lot of suffering that is why we have decided to demonstrate today so that the government can hear us. Many accidents have occurred here and several people have been injured especially after falling from motorbikes.”
They have accused the contractor who was awarded a tender to tarmac the road from Musikoma in Bungoma County to Mungatsi in Busia County for being too sluggish, “We even don’t know who the contractor is and right now he is not on site. He started tarmacking the road some five years ago and on the Bungoma side he was faster but reaching Busia side he decided to sleep on the job.”
The locals have also accused their area leaders led by Nambale MP Hon. John Bunyasi and Bukhayo East Ward representative Laban Mukhwana for not following up with the contractor so that he finishes his work, “This is road passes by the home of our MP Bunyasi and area MCA Laban Mukhwana but they currently use another road to their homes as we suffer. When you ask Bunyasi about the road he tells you it’s being done by the national government and yet we sent him to parliament so that he can represent us on such matters. So we are wondering who will present our grievances to the national government?” they posed.
On several occasions Bunyasi has complained about the snail speed of the contractor tarmacking the road and at one point threatened to join locals in holding demos to protect against him, “It’s true the contractor is very slow. One day I will join residents to demonstrate and even plant sugarcane on the road so that he speeds up the work.”