Mt Elgon Locals Smoke Up Kapsokwony Market, Upsetting Normalcy
By Isabella Maua
Residents and business persons at Kapsokwony have disrupted normalcy for two consecutive weeks by burning tyres and barricading the busy Kimilili-Kapsokwony road.
The agitated residents who demonstrated peacefully in the midst of dark smoke emanating from the burnt tyres for the better part of the Monday decried negligence and false promises from politicians and elected leaders.
Speaking with The Times Newspapers, Chebet, a businesswoman at Kapsokwony, observed that they have been making many losses while transporting their farm produce from Kapsokwony to Kimilili, and their cry has been long overdue.
“We have to pay twice the price for the distance from Kapsokwony to Kimilili because of potholes and poor road condition; in real sense, the boda boda riders are actually risking both our lives and theirs,” bemoaned Chebet.
Saima, who has been a boda boda rider for over 5 years now within the Kapsokwony-Kaptama-Kimilili route, noted that the road has caused more harm than good when it comes to their health and wellbeing.
“About a week ago, my colleague got an accident on this road, and his client almost lost her life since she was expectant and was being rushed to Webuye for specialised attention. It’s more disheartening that even the ambulance we got cannot manoeuvre this terrible road,” noted Saima.
One of the youths who had once aspired to be an MCA for Elgon ward (with its headquarters at Kapsokwony) highlighted that they are now tired of empty promises trickling down from the President to the elected MP.
“We have suffered for many years since the regime of the late former president Kibaki; lately, the current president Ruto lied to us again in broad daylight last August that the then CS for Roads Murkomen would work on this road in less than 2 months,” decried Maruti.
Even as the cry of the people of Mt. Elgon gets louder, the question as to whether the leaders within the region are determined to change the narrative remains unanswered.
“We want to be told for sure if we are part of Kenya or Uganda since we are at the border; our leaders should also come out clear and say if they want to continue using this road as a campaign tool, enough is enough!” said one of the irate residents.
The 11-kilometre road remains a centre of focus as residents wait upon elected and concerned leaders to intervene.
The residents, however, have vowed to continue with Monday demos until their cries have been heard and appropriately acted upon.
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