Roads make crucial contribution to economic development and growth.
Providing access to employment, social, health and education services makes a road network crucial in fighting poverty.
It’s for these reasons that the Taita Taveta County Department of Public Works and Infrastructure under the stewardship of CEC Houghton Mombo has ventured into improving the road network across the county.
The Sagala Ngelenge road is one of the devolution success stories in Taita Taveta.
The road has opened up Sagala Ward for business.
“The old Sagala road has now been abandoned by motorists and commuters who now prefer to use the new Ngelenge road which is a shortcut to Voi. We are optimistic that the transport costs will decrease because the road is shorter,” Stanley Nina, a Kizumanzi resident said.
Nina added that tourists visiting the Wray Museum in Sagala can now have a good view of the scenic Sagala hill.
“The road further opens up Sagala for business and tourism. Crop and dairy farmers can now easily access markets in Voi and Maungu using the road. We thank the County government for opening up the access road,” he said.
Nina wants the County Government to set aside more funds to construct slabs, culverts and increase the width of the roads in some sections.
Rong’e Ward in Mwatate sub-county is also reeling from joy of new roads.
“These are the proposals we made during the previous budget making process. This road is very important to us because it is a short cut from Wongonyi –Mwakaleri-Wundanyi. The road has opened up the area for economic growth,” he said.
The new road cuts across the hilly Rong’e Ward connecting Kironge,Mwakaleri,Posho mill, Mwambirwa vocational training center, Mwanyambo down to Baghau.
“We are optimistic that mining activities will resume in this area after this new road is complete. The mining activities will open up this village to economic prosperity,” said the man in his late sixties.
Farmers from Rong’e will now easily transport their produce to the market.
Among the economic activities undertaken at Rong’e ward include dairy farming, poultry keeping and small scale crop production.
According to CEC Mombo, the county government has constructed slabs, box culverts and murrammed several roads in the county thus improving transport.