The construction of the Waiyaki Way-Red Hill Road elicited a lot of mixed reactions, with a section of Kenyans pointing out to the shoddy works done on the road.
In January this year, a wall collapsed on the section of the road, with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) Chief Communications Officer John Cheboi blaming it on burst pipes.null
The wall collapsed with one of the lanes totally closed off by the debris near ABC Bypass, inconveniencing many motorists.
Repairs were done but eight months later, the situation is not any better, with sections of the road now posing a public risk to motorists.
Photos shared online on Wednesday September 9 have now put the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) on the spot, with sections of the wall being washed away by rainwater and on other parts rocks and debris hanging dangerously on the sides.
Right now, a bit further down the road, the ground behind this retaining wall has begun sinking.
— Ian Cox (@IanECox) September 9, 2020
(Also, why did the project waste money on motor vehicle grade crash barriers for the walking/bike lanes?) pic.twitter.com/DLsIjiZkH6
The link was constructed by a Chinese company China Wu Yi Co. Ltd at a tune of Ksh3 billion. The project was completed in 2019 and is barely a year old since it was opened to the public.
“The construction was funded by the Government of Kenya at a cost of Ksh3.01 billion and implemented by China Wu Yi with APEC Consortium undertaking supervisory and consultancy services. Scope of works include; walkways, bridges, culverts, overpasses, underpasses, drainage works, street lightings, landscaping and slope protection works,” KURA posted on their website.null
However, the walkways, bridges, culverts, overpasses, underpasses, drainage works are in a sorry state, depicting shoddy works done by the company. The walls were built using blocks that on normal occasions are used to build houses.
“China Wu Yi and its engineers know that one does not build earth retaining walls out of blocks of stone if the wall is more than a metre,” noted one Ian Cox on Twitter
“It only takes the water erosion of the cement between a few blocks to lead to an entire wall collapsing.” he added.
According to regular users of the link, part of the ground has started sinking since no reinforcement was done to ensure the road remained firm on the overpasses.
“Meanwhile, across the highway, erosion has already started eating away at the bricks above the retaining wall. Soon enough, the bricks will start pummeling the Mercedes and Land Cruisers below,” Cox further revealed.
“The entire project is riddled with sub-par construction, but as usual the pedestrians and cyclists are an afterthought. Retaining walls never built or half-completed leading to erosion over the path. Potholes already appearing. Kenyans deserve better quality for their money,” he adds.
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