Locals to benefit from proper road

 ABOUT 40,000 to 50,000 people living between Kagua station and Sumia near the junction of Mendi and Hela, will soon benefit from a proper road.

The provincial road built during the colonial period had been neglected for many years until last month when Kagua-Erave MP James Lagea and his District Development Authority allocated more than K3 million to give it a major face-lift.

The District Development Authority engaged local firm Sakal Construction for K2.2 million to work on improving the road. 

Lagea said maintenance of the back road to Mendi would reduce the burden faced by people from the 24 council wards in the Aiya local level government. 

He said the company had already covered six kilometres of maintenance from Kagua station to Papiri village and by next month would reach the Wambi Lutheran mission station. 

He said as soon as the government accounts opened and a commitment by provincial government came in, that would help complete maintaining the 20km section from Kagua to Sumia road junction.

He said in 2008, he allocated K1 million to re-gravel the road from Yariya village, near Sumia, to Usa, about 6km away. 

Works Minister Francis Awesa helped by upgrading the section from Haga Bridge to Yariya. Lagea said work was progressing well despite the poor weather affecting heavy machinery. He said as part of cost cutting measures, his administration spent about K1 million to develop a quarry near Kagua station.