This is a guest post by Kennedy Mugera.
A standoff ensued in Kajiado this past week over what residents’ term as blatant disregard by the County Government Over the poor State of the Kitengela Nkurunka road.
Agitated truck drivers in the area say that despite their timely payment of road levies, the road is in deplorable condition.
Business came to a standstill on the busy road as a tug of war ensued between the drivers and county government police after several drivers were arrested for allegedly not paying the one thousand shilling levy accrued per trip. The drivers accuse the county government of trying to undermine them after they decisively begun to fix the eighteen kilometer road themselves.
The drivers, who argue that the roads deplorable state, makes it impossible to conduct a profitable business, also say that the Machakos County Government has also imposed their own levy for plying the route, further complicating matters as to which county the road is actually in, in the first place.
The road to the mining centre remains closed as the standoff drags on. The drivers have vowed not to pay levies to the county government unless the situation is addressed and common ground is found between the two parties.