The construction of River Enziu bridge remains incomplete two years after a bus was swept away claiming thirty-two lives on December 4,2021.
According to reports, the bridge located in Mwingi, Kitui County is only forty percent complete.
Residents have warned the government to speed up the construction to avoid disasters especially with the expected El-Nino rains.
Further, the motorist said they must wait for the water to subside before crossing the river.
“There was a lot of water and we had to wait for two hours for the volume to reduce. Even right now it has not reduced but we must take the risk,” Edwin Mutembei a motorist.
The Enziu bridge construction begun in January 2022 and was to be completed in December the same year.
Otieno urged the government to bring in more constructors to ensure the bridge is completed during this rainy season.
“They should spend up because we are already in rainy season, the government can divide the constructors and give them portions so that the work is completed fast,” he said.
However, reports indicate that the contractor and workers tasked with building the bridge are still onsite to complete the work.
According to workers, the project is dragging to funding problems adding that they haven’t received payment for five months.
“The beauty of work is payment, but when you work without being paid then there is a problem,” said Vincent Otieno, a casual laborer.
Government Bridge Promises
On December 7,2021 two days after the bus tragedy, the government announced plans to construct the bridge.
Additionally, various government officials promised to follow up on the construction of the bridge.
“We are in agreement, and we don’t have two years to wait. We are not going to lose more lives here. The Director General Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) will be driving a team, and they intend to deliver this bridge in ten months or less,” said Mwangi Maringa, former PS Transport and Infrastructure.
Speaking on December 9,2021, former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu mourned with the families and promised that such tragedy will never happen again.
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Surviver’s Plea
Collince Oluodo, a survivor of the bus tragedy said the bridge evokes memories of his near-death experience.
Moreover, he asked the government to speed up the construction of the bridge to keep motorists safe.
“As a survivor, I would not like to witness another tragedy, yet we have the national and county governments, and stakeholders who can treat such constructions as an emergency and fasten its completion,” said Aluodo.
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River Enziu Tragedy
On Saturday December 4, St Joseph’s Seminary bus carrying Mwingi Catholic Church choir members headed to a wedding in Nuu, drowned after the driver lost control of the 54-seater-bus midstream while attempting to cross through the river.
The incident left 32 people dead whereas only 12 survivors, among them four children, were rescued from the bus, which got totally submerged a few minutes afterwards.
In March 2018, the river claimed the lives of five people after they were swept away by raging flash floods after riverbanks unexpectedly broke due to the heavy rains.
