By Simon Kobia
For Gerrison Murithi, crossing the Thingithu river at the entrance of Nkubu town in South Imenti is a scary moment.
Each time Murithi, a resident of Uruku goes to work in the morning and makes his way home in the evening, he has to cross the river in a hurry, “ama gari ivuke na mimi” (or else the vehicle will hit me!).
Murithi said the lack of a footbridge means pedestrians have to walk on the road, risking their lives as the road is busy, especially in the morning and evening rush-hour.
Murithi said the uneven road at the crossing point means drivers tend to veer off the road to escape the unseen bump.
“It is a scary moment each time people, including children and the elderly who cannot cross faster. I know of two drunk men who were hit while crossing. But we would not be having this kind of accident or close shaves if we had a footbridge,” he told The Eastern this week.
Like Murithi, Belinda Nkirote said they take a great risk whenever they walk across the river because a moment of the distraction of the driver or the pedestrian could result in an accident.
“Unfortunately there is no alternative route to my place near Riverbank hotel. My heart is always in my mouth whenever I’m making my way across such a dangerous spot, especially when my two young children are with me,” said Ms Nkirote, who operates a hotel at Nkubu town.
She said there is a need for a footbridge to be erected at the crossing, to prevent accidents.
“The people who constructed this road somehow overlooked the need for a footbridge, and we cannot understand how. Because it does not make sense that they did not see the importance of a footbridge here,” she added.
