The long-awaited upgrading to bitumen standards of the Bamba-Ganze-Kilifi road has now started.

The tarmacking of the 48-kilometre road, which is the main road connecting interior Ganze constituency to Kilifi County headquarters, was commissioned by Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia on Tuesday.

The project design entails the 48 kilometres from Bamba to Kilifi through Kitengwani, six kilometres loop from the Bamba-Ganze road through the Ganze DCCs office to Ganze town, Ganze town to Magogoni through Ganze girls high school and two kilometres from Mavueni to Bahari girls’ national school. The project covers Ganze and Kilifi north constituencies.

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Cases of expectant mothers and patients dying while being rushed to hospital from Ganze to Kilifi will be resolved once the road is completed.

During the rain season, motor vehicles including ambulances ferrying sick people and expectant mothers to Kilifi hospital spent hours on the road and at times patients died while mothers delivered on the road.

Speaking during the commissioning, Macharia said the road will be a bypass for travellers from Nairobi to the north coast who do not wish to go through Mombasa.

Macharia said the whole project covers 56 kilometres and it will cost Ksh 2.1 billion.

He said the road will be a game-changer on the economy of the sub-county.

“This project will open up this area. Many years have asked for this road but the current area MP has been in my office almost every week over this road,” he said

Also Read: Bamba-Ganze-Kilifi road set to be tarmacked

Since independence, the road has been in pathetic condition especially during the rainy season.

Bamba has one of the largest livestock markets in the region but many people from Kilifi and Malindi kept off the market due to the poor state of the road.

Former Ganze Member of Parliament Noah Katana Ngala said the rod had been ignored by successive governments despite its potential to alleviate poverty in Ganze.

“I was called names because of the state of this road. It is one of the reasons I was voted out. I am glad to see that this road is being tarmacked. Our farmers now will have a chance to take their produce to Markets in Kilifi, Malindi and even Mombasa. The poor state of this road has derailed the development of this area,” said Ngala

Kilifi north Member of Parliament Owen Baya said the road will reduce Rural-urban migration.

Also Read: The curse of poverty on Ganze’s shadow

Baya said many people have been living outside the area due to poor roads.

Most people from the area choose to reside in Kilifi and other areas due to the poverty in the area.

Baya challenged residents to start investing in the area.

“In Kilifi I see many people from this area. They have good jobs but they do not want to invest here they invest in Kilifi. This road will offer a solution to this problem,” said Baya

Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire thanked the president for the project and asked for street lighting within Ganze town.

He urged the government to put street lights within Ganze town to uplift the town to an urban centre.

“Ganze has many roads which are under the Kenya Rural Roads Authority. The money we get is not enough to maintain them. If Ganze is upgraded to an urban centre then we will get funds for Kenya Urban Roads Authority,” he said

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