Shame as villagers repair roads in Nyaribari Masaba

Armed with jembes, shovels and sheer determination, residents of Gesabakwa Village in Nyaribari Masaba Constituency have taken matters into their own hands by repairing roads they say have been neglected for years despite repeated appeals to government authorities.

The unusual sight of villagers filling potholes, clearing drainage channels and rehabilitating damaged sections of roads has laid bare growing frustration over what residents describe as decades of neglect and unfulfilled promises on infrastructure development.

Rather than continue watching roads deteriorate, residents mobilised themselves for a community road repair exercise aimed at restoring access along key routes that have become increasingly difficult to use, particularly during the rainy season.

For many families, the poor state of the roads is more than an inconvenience. Residents say it has become a daily struggle affecting farmers transporting produce to markets, students travelling to school and patients seeking medical services.

“When it rains, some roads become almost unusable. We struggle to move our farm produce and even accessing hospitals becomes a challenge,” said resident John Onchari.

Onchari questioned why basic infrastructure challenges continue to persist despite years of government spending and repeated development pledges.

“We vote. We pay taxes. We get promises. Then we pick up jembes and do the work ourselves,” he said, reflecting the growing frustration among villagers.

Residents argue that roads remain the backbone of economic growth and service delivery and should be prioritised alongside other development initiatives.

Some locals pointed to the ongoing Affordable Housing Project at Ekerubo, saying while they support government development programmes, road rehabilitation should not be overlooked because it directly affects livelihoods and access to essential services.

“Roads are the backbone of any economy. Without good roads, even other projects cannot benefit people fully,” said another resident.

The community is now calling on area MP Dr. Daniel Manduku and relevant government agencies to provide a clear roadmap, timelines and funding commitments for the upgrading and maintenance of roads across the constituency.

Residents warned that unless urgent action is taken, more communities may be forced to undertake public infrastructure projects on their own, raising concerns about the effectiveness of service delivery and accountability in the area.

The residents say they remain hopeful that their efforts will draw attention to the dire state of local roads and prompt authorities to take decisive action.