Tebere area residents in Kirinyaga county are upbeat as construction of Gacuria Moyo bridge construction nears completion.
The project has brought joy to scores of villagers who had to endure the pain of walking long distances to access the market, schools and health facilities.
The villagers say the bridge, connecting Murinduko and Tebere wards across crocodile-infested Nyamindi river will be a big relief to farmers, school going children and traders.
The bridge is expected to be completed before the end of this year.
The bridge being constructed by the Kirinyaga county government will serve over 5,000 people living in Ndindiruku, Kiumbu, Marurumo, Miatuini and South Ngariama in Mwea constituency.
“Gacuria Moyo” literally means “putting life on the line”.
Residents say for a long time, they had to cross the river using wooden makeshift footbridges that sometimes would be washed away by water when the river swelled.
Ndwiga Njoka, a resident of Miatuini village says the thought of the wooden bridge gives him nightmares.
He remembers vividly some years back when two pupils of a local school were swept away while crossing the river.
“The wooden structure was a bridge of death; many lives have been lost here. You hold onto your heart while crossing because anything can happen,” he said.
“You can slip and fall into the river or the structure can be washed away any moment,” he said.
Another resident Rosemary Wanjiku said there are people who have been washed away together with makeshift bridges never to be seen again.
Governor Anne Waiguru says from time immemorial, residents from the five villages had to endure using makeshift wooden bridges to cross the river.
This posed a risk to their lives and made transport of farm produce costly.
The governor says the bridge will spur economic growth.
It will ease transportation of agricultural produce like tomato, french beans, watermelon and rice to the market.
This will in turn increase employment opportunities in the transport sector.
“My administration has embarked on a massive road improvement program that will open up the interior parts of the county for sustained social and economic development.
We are building bridges to ensure our farmers and traders have easy and fast access to markets,” she said.
Waiguru says bridges and better roads have led to improved household incomes.
This is so since families can easily transport their farm produce, such as bananas, vegetables and rice to the market.
Currently, residents have to travel for around 50 kilometer to access Wang’uru Market.
The governor has already commissioned another bridge across river Nyamindi and Mahiga-ini.
Several other vital bridges being built by governor Waiguru’s administration are lined up for completion.
They include Kiamanyeki-Ciagini, Kaimiri-Gakarara, Matonguini, Karoboti, Kandakame, Kahuhoini and Kibukure.
The county is also putting up the Getuya, Mutonga and Munjuha foot bridges to ease movement of people.
The bridges will open up most of the areas which had remained cut-off from other parts.
They will give residents access to public institutions such as schools and health facilities.
Tebere Ward Member of County Assembly (MCA) Gudson Muchina praised the executive for allocating additional funds in the 2020/21 financial year to ensure all bridges and roads which are under construction in the county are completed.
Muchina said the good working relationship between the executive and the MCAs had resulted to speedy completion of development projects.
“This permanent bridge will be the new lifeline for people living in these farming villages.
I am happy the long wait for a permanent bridge for the people is over,” he said.
He added that those living on the other side of South Ngariama can cross river Nyamindi and access healthcare at Ndinduruku health facility.
The facility has also been built by governor Waiguru’s administration.
