Residents of Free area in Nakuru East sub-county are worried after a contractor contracted to tarmac the Free area loop road in Free area centre failed to heed the danger of leaving electricity poles in the middle of the road.

The tarmacking of the 1.2km road opens up access to Naka Estate and the Free Area market.

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However, the placement of electricity poles in the middle of the newly paved road was the talk of almost all social media platforms in Nakuru as residents questioned why the contractor decided to do this without considering the dangers associated with the electricity poles.

Residents of Naka Estate pointed an accusing finger at the Nakuru County government and the Nakuru City Manager.

While posting the photos of the said road, blogger Kinyanjui wa Kibara said, "Snapped in Free area.... What madness is this?”

Michael Njau was of a different opinion saying that it was not the contractor's fault but Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC).

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"Contractor hana makossa, makossa ni ya Kplc. They don't relocate posts on time, they take a century na county wants the road done so you get paid. It's much easier to fill the holes after KPLC remove the posts than to wait for them to remove them first and do the road,” Mr Njau said.

Electricity poles in the middle of a newly done loop road in Free area.

Photo credit: Courtesy

Responding to the matter Nakuru County Resident Engineer Symon Kariuki said that the matter is being addressed as the contractor has left a two metre wide strip to give KPLC space to relocate the lines as per the notice issued.

He added that the contractor will later compact the affected areas to restore the road to its original state.

"All safety measures are in place for pedestrians. We will ensure that the road is clearly marked with speed bumps placed at 50 metre intervals to control speeding motorists along the stretch of the bypass," engineer Kariuki said.

When Mtaa Wangu contacted the County government for a comment, the county communication office said that there was an agreement for Kenya Power to relocate the poles.

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However, this was delayed and by the time the contractor got to work, the poles had not been removed.

The county government had no choice but to proceed with the contract in line with the financial year that was coming to an end.

According to the county government, the tarmacking projects will be a huge economic boost for Nakuru County and in the long run will significantly increase economic activities in the city centre.

Other areas the county government is focusing on include the completion of the tarmacking of the Elburgon frontage road and other access roads to the Salgaa shopping mall.

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Poor planning or negligence? Why electricity poles are left in the middle of freshly laid tarmac in Nakuru

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