This archive report was first published on 21 October 2019.
Published on October 21, 2019, Taita Taveta County leaders have expressed strong opposition to the proposed Sh300 billion express road from Nairobi to Mombasa.
According to Governor Granton Samboja, the 473-kilometre road will displace thousands of people in Voi sub-county as it passes through residents' farms.
Speaking during Mashujaa Day celebrations, Samboja called for the suspension of the road, citing a lack of public participation in the project's planning.
“The project should be suspended because no public participation was done. Locals must fully be involved in the project implementation. They should know its benefits,” Samboja said.
Samboja's sentiments were echoed by Voi MP Jones Mlolwa, who told County Commissioner Rodah Onyancha that residents would not allow the project to pass through their lands.
“We have small farms and we will not allow the road to pass through them since people will be displaced,” Mlolwa said.
Some residents suggested that the road could instead pass through the vast Tsavo National Park, where there is enough land.
