This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
The Thika-Maungu-Flyover road, a crucial artery connecting Thika to rich farmlands in Nyandarua and Nakuru counties, has become a nightmare for motorists.
Stretching 81.6 kilometres, the road serves as a convenient connection between Thika and Naivasha in Nakuru County, as well as Magumu region in Nyandarua County.
However, what was once a convenient option has given way to a pothole-saddled road that poses a significant threat to those travelling through the region.
Residents have taken matters into their own hands, filling some of the gaping holes with soil from the roadsides, providing brief but much-needed relief for motorists.
‘The youths scoop soil from the roadsides and use it to fill the potholes,’ said Ms Velicinah Mukami, a resident of Kirasha junction in Kinare Ward, Kiambu County.
Ms Mukami, a resident of the region for over 16 years, has seen the road deteriorate significantly, with the most recent repairs conducted about two years ago.
The worst part of the road, according to Ms Mukami, is at Kianjugu, about 17 kilometres from Kirasha junction, a region tucked deep in the densely wooded Kamae forest.
Motorists have endured long traffic jams, with some vehicles overturned or leaning dangerously due to the deep potholes.
The journey from the Flyover junction to Thika, which used to take between an hour and one and a half hours, now takes upwards of two hours.
The road has also presented a security problem, with thugs taking advantage of the potholes to waylay and rob motorists, particularly in the months of October through to December.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's visit to the region earlier in the year sparked locals' hopes that the government would embark on repairs for the road, but this has not come to pass.
