By Sandra Blessings
The 74Km road Mbita-Sori road has been the hallmark of political theatrics, turned into a musical chair and a political carrot by subsequent governments
For eons, the road has become a political tool by parliamentary, presidential candidates and the new regimes that have come into power.
The Sh 2.83B road project has become more a political decoy by the subsequent regimes to hood wink the residents and the leadership into dancing to the tune of the power that be.
Now the government will spend Sh 2.9 billion to complete and has developed a new payment model where after completion of every 7 kilometers , the contractor is paid.
Suba South is the only Constituency that does not have a tarmacked road in Homa Bay County.
Currently, a pollical dilemma over the road has been created with the appointment of former Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) national chairman as the Cabinet Secretary for Treasury in the broad based government
Ironically, Suba South MP Karoli Omondi changed political allegiance from ODM to President William Ruto government with hope that the new administration would complete the age-old project.
The emerging intrigue and drama are about who will be credited with the eventual completion of the road, is it cabinet Secretary for Treasury or the MP as major political realignment takes shape in Suba South and nationally ?
In 2011 works on the road had stalled when the former contractor had experienced hitches and left when they had constructed 7Km between Mbita and Sindo towns.
This year another 7 km from Magunga to Yenga was done by a new contractor bringing a total 14 kilometers under tarmac.
But after the political handshake between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga after 2017 presidential elections.
The former area MP John Mbadi cited the handshake as the reason behind the then expected resumptions of works on the road from Ogolo Muok towards Sori in Nyatike constituency in Migori.
During the handing over of the project to the contractor, Mbadi said tarmacking of a 74km road connecting Homa Bay and Migori counties was to begin in 21 days after the project was handed over to China Civil Engineers Construction Corporation. And this never came to pass.
“The truce between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga made it easy for them to push for the construction of the road,’ he said.
But just like the first contractor, the second contractor also allegedly withdrew because of lack of funds to complete the work. Nyanza regional commissioner Flora Mworoa together with the director of Presidential Delivery Unit Silvance Osele and Homa Bay County Commissioner Moses Lilan said the government is keen to complete construction of the road by 2028.
Construction of the road had suffered delay during the era of the Jubilee government where contractor (s) abandoned the work over unclear reasons.
President Ruto had already launched construction of the road when he toured the area in October last year. He promised that his government would tarmac the road to improve the living standards of the people.
The situation forced the government to terminate the contract and hire another contractor.
And in the turn of events before the formation of broad based government, the Abasuba Council of Elders had told area MP Caroli Omondi to work with the government to revive tarmacking of a stalled 73 km road in the area after it was started five years ago.
The Council chairman in Gwassi region Valentine Odhuno, the Council Secretary Job Ikawa and other members wanted to work with President William Ruto’s government to revive the construction of the road.
The senior citizens told Omondi to work with the government and influence the implementation of development projects.
This time round the government has contracted China Civil Engineering Construction Cooperation Limited to undertake the work in bits (the milestone base method).
Mworoa said the new method will prevent similar challenges they experienced previously in construction of the road from reoccurring.
“The government is avoiding any repeat of challenges it experienced before in constructing the road. Currently, the first section of the project which is 7.4km is ready for tarmacking,” Mworoa said.
“Suba South is rich agricultural production but the only problem is lack of roads. This road will enable farmers to get the value for their produce,” the residents said.
Odhuno said they are relying on cooperation between Omondi and the Kenya Kwanza Government to influence the construction of the road.
