Residents, the business community and road users of some sections in Ongata Rongai, Kandisi and Ole Kassasi will hold a peaceful demonstration on Friday 7th October 2022 to protest over prolonged construction on some impassable sections of a public road.
Protesters will continue to demonstrate on subsequent Fridays till the road is done or an alternative solution is provided.
They said the lack of progress on the Ongata Rongai-Maasai Lodge- Nazarene University, Tuala, Rimpa Road – RWC 497, has caused them health repercussions, incurred hefty mechanical and maintenance costs, time consumption among other constraints due to its poor state, according to the conveners of the protest.
“Having witnessed the slow pace or lack of progress in the construction of the above mentioned road and having held several consultative meetings with representatives of the contractor and the KERRA resident engineer since last year, we are concerned about the unending construction of the road,” a public notice states.
Acacia Estate Residents’ Association Chairman, Robert Ochanda Momanyi, further complained: “The residents and stakeholders have been bearing the brunt of the deplorable state of the road which amounts to increased maintenance costs for their vehicles, inability to access their homes and increased insecurity to residents and exposure to dust which has resulted in throat and chest infections among others.”
Momanyi said community meetings called to address the road issue have not borne any fruits causing residents to seek urgent attention from the relevant authorities to act in order to avert the various challenges confronting the residents and stakeholders.
“In this regard, we are calling on Director General KERRA to respond to our concerns because as highlighted above this road project has transformed into a public nightmare and needs to be addressed urgently failure to which the residents will resort to other alternative means of expressing their anger and distress,” residents said.
The protest letter, copied to Sub County Police Commander and DCC Kajiado North, OCS –Ongata Rongai Division, Officers in-charge Ole Kasasi and Kandisi police posts, OCS Tuala police station, Area Chief Ole Kasasi Location, Area MP- Kajiado North, Area MCA – Ongata Rongai, ACC 1 Kajiado County and ACC Ongata Rongai requests for security agencies’ support and escort during the peaceful demonstrations.
“However, the residents remain committed to dialogue in seeking a common way forward,” the notice concludes.
