The Mariakani-Bamba road in Kilifi County was referenced by President Uhuru Kenyatta in his final State of the Nation address of his first term, during which he presented a compelling case for his reelection in 2017.
One such appreciative recipient of the road project is Ms. Lilian Kali from Mikinjeni village in the Bamba ward.
After experiencing issues during childbirth, her mother Nyevu Kirimo unexpectedly passed ill in 2005.
“We rushed my mother to Bamba Health Centre but she did not get treatment, forcing us to go to Mariakani Health Centre. But on our way, it started raining heavily and the vehicle got stuck,” she told Nation.
They had to carry her for at least three days to go the 40 kilometers to Mariakani Hospital because of the bad weather.
“It took us three days walking to the hospital while carrying my sick mother. But she was weak and died before receiving any treatment,” Ms Kali recalled.
But their problems did not end there. The family had to take her body home to prepare for burial because the hospital lacked a working mortuary.
They left with the body on a temporary bed after obtaining the required paperwork from the local authorities.
It took us four days to get home to Bamba while grieving as we carried our dead mother down the rutted, hilly route in the rain.
“We started trekking, mourning as we carried our dead mum on the muddy and bumpy road and in the rains, and it took us four days to get home in Bamba,” she said.
“The body was decomposing, and no one wanted to move close to her. Even some family members stayed away. Her body was stuffed in a polythene bag and then hurriedly buried.”
The difficult circumstances her family faced after her mother’s death, according to Ms. Kali, served as a reminder that good deeds should be recognized.
Ms. Kali has sent President Kenyatta ten turkeys worth Sh100,000 as compensation for the Jubilee government’s tarmacking of the road.
The road was built beginning in 2016, and it was finished the following year.
“I swore to myself that if there would be a person, no matter where he or she will come from, who would construct the Bamba-Mariakani road, then I would buy livestock and gift them for saving the community,” she added.
“I was engaged in the charcoal business to get money. Out of the sale of 50 bags, I made enough money to buy the small turkeys which I started to rear. I told God to protect the turkeys so that I could give my gift to the President for the road project.”
She said that she would not have lost her mother if the road had been in good shape.
She claimed that it is now simple for neighborhood members to visit Mariakani during inclement weather.
“It seems that plans to construct the road were in place for many years, but it only lacked someone to implement the project, but here came President Uhuru Kenyatta, who made it a reality for the people of Ganze,” she said.
She has requested the President to pick up the birds from her Bamba home before his term ends.
“A turkey is a proud bird. I like the way they swing in pride when they see a person. I did not want to buy a goat because maybe he eats goat meat every day. A turkey is a unique bird to gift someone of his stature,” said Ms Kali.
