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{
    "id": 776574,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/776574/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 197,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Murugara",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13491,
        "legal_name": "George Gitonga Murugara",
        "slug": "george-gitonga-murugara"
    },
    "content": "Standards Board which will regulate and maintain the quality of roads in the country. Complaints are rampant that contractors are getting roads that, possibly, would take one year to construct but you find that three or four years down the line, a contractor is still on the road and the work that is being done cannot be said to be of standard. There has been a lot of emphasis on our highways and urban roads at the expense of roads in the rural constituencies, where most of us come from. That is where the vast majority of Kenyans live, and they expect to get good service roads so that they can go about their day-to- day businesses; be it agriculture, business or whatever it is. These are the areas we need to focus on we work on the road network. That way, I can go to Tharaka Constituency and relate the road situation in that constituency to this new Bill. Again, I am happy to have the chairman here because he is noting what I am saying, especially Tharaka being one of the marginalised constituencies with the poorest road networks in the country. The constituency needs special consideration so that people there can feel that the Government is also taking care of them. That notwithstanding, there is a tarmac road project which commenced three years ago. It is supposed to cover 36 kilometres but to the dismay of everybody, the contractor has done only eight kilometres, starting from Gatunga Town in Tharaka North to Marimanti Ttown – the constituency headquarters. He still has a lot to do to move the road from Marimanti to Chiakariga. Eventually, the construction has to proceed from Gatunga to Ura Gate of Meru National Park. There is hue and cry amongst the residents regarding the contractor. I constantly remind him that we will revisit. We will have to look at his contract because he is not delivering to the people of Tharaka what the national Government has given them. It is also important to bring to the attention of the chairman and the Committee that, that is the only tarmac road in that constituency. We are eying another road that comes from Meru Town. That road is being tarmacked with low volume grading, which we believe is suitable and sustainable for the constituency. I, therefore, urge the Government to continue with the construction of that road to Nkondi and then to Gatunga. Then we have another road that comes from Meru Central through Mitunguu, but which does not extend to Tharaka. That is the road that passes through Mukuni to Kibunga and Marimanti. I, again, urge the Government to consider these roads because they actually should be tarmacked. They are the major roads that serve the people of Tharaka. It is important that they are made to standard for the benefit of the people. We have what has always been known as KeRRA. This Authority is supposed to maintain roads in the constituency under the guidance of the Member of Parliament. Unfortunately, in most constituencies – especially in my constituency of Tharaka – this Authority allocates only Kshs30 million for maintenance, upgrading and sustenance of the roads. There is very little that can be done with Kshs30 million. I urge the Government that whatever Authority is going to take over rural roads is awarded more money, so that even the roads that lead from village to village and connect small towns are also well maintained for purposes of good communication. The Member for Makueni has just made an important contribution touching on Kitui and Tharaka Nithi counties, where there is a bridge that links the two. It is the only bridge in a span of more than 80 kilometres. There is need for another two bridges to be constructed on the road that joins the two counties between Tharaka and Kitui for purposes of easing communication and making trade and whatever other activities that take place between Kitui and Tharaka Nithi The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}