Protests over poor state of Gitanga Road near Kawangware 46 [Video]

Residents of Kawangware on Wednesday morning, January 19 took to the streets to protest the poor state of roads in the area.

According to reports reaching the news desk, the protesters barricaded Gitanga Road that connects Lavington and Kawangware with stones and burning tyres.

Residents have been complaining about the bad stretch of the road for years which seems to have been neglected.

The residents’ frustrations were further fuelled by road repair works being carried out on the same road but in neighbouring Lavington.

“One of the worst roads in Nairobi for sure. They are repairing the rich part of Gitanga Road and leaving the rest of us peasants to deal with boreholes on the road,” noted Rachel who uses the road.

Kawangware residents protest poor state of roads Pulse Live Kenya

"Today I’ve seen an improvement! Residents in Congo Kawangware closed the main road to 46 after seeing contractors fixing roads in posh areas instead of massive potholes affected by failed sewer lines,” Daniel posted on Twitter.

Kawangware residents protest poor state of roads Pulse Live Kenya

NMS pledge on roads in Nairobi

In 2021, Nairobi Metropolitan Services announced that it would be re-carpeting and tarmacking roads in the city centre and estates.

Despite progress in parts of Nairobi CBD and Industrial Area, many estate roads are yet to be upgraded and repaired.

The NMS and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) plans on constructing 408km of access roads in informal settlements in Nairobi.

The areas that will benefit are Kawangware, Riruta, parts of Dagoretti North, Mathare, Kangemi, Mukuru, Kibera, parts of Githurai 44 and 45, Mwiki and Zimmermann.