Residents of Mavoloni and Ngoliba areas in Gatanga and Thika constituencies can now sigh with relief following the completion of a bridge over the Thika River.
The bridge has facilitated the easy movement of people and their animals over the hippo-infested river which they previously crossed using makeshift boats.
Traders recounted how they would travel far distances through winding routes to reach their destinations, thus incurring huge losses and wasting valuable time.
The previous bridge collapsed two years ago cutting off road connection between the areas of Ngoliba and Mavoloni in Kiambu and Machakos counties respectively.
Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina, while officially commissioning the steel bridge which he said cost Ksh25 million, asked locals to protect it from being vandalized by scrap metal dealers.
“You should regard this bridge as your own property and guard it against vandalism by unscrupulous scrap dealers, given the high cost,” the legislator said, adding that he lobbied for the project’s funding.
With the completion of the bridge that has the capacity to hold huge weights, residents acclaimed the government for acting on their longstanding plight saying the development will spur economic growth, improve agricultural activities and increase the value of their land.
School-going children, their teachers and parents were most affected by the collapse of the old bridge as well as public service vehicle operators.
The PSV operators noted that the new bridge will reduce their operational costs and enable them to make more returns.
