The Standard ­ Friday
Date: 19.05.2017
Page 28
Article size: 845 cm2
ColumnCM: 187.77
AVE: 488222.22
Construction. Hard times for Aga Khan, Bliss, Jacmil and Tumaini supermarkets, cereal shops, petrol stations like Kobil and Shell
Traders count losses over
ongoing Outering Road project
The trenches next to the
business premises and
billowing dust keep clients
away.
By James Wanzala
[email protected]
Businesses along Outering Road that
is under construction are counting
losses. Right at their doorsteps are
deep trenches. The road construction
work also leaves behind a heavy cloud
of dust, which has been keeping clients
away. Those with cars have no parking
spaces. In fact to access some of the
premises, one must be ready for some
serious jumping exercises. It is a risky
venture.
Most businesses are on the right side
as you go towards Donholm while on
the left side are estates like Avenue
Park, Tumaini and Pipeline, among oth­
ers. The most affected are hotels like
Chariton, Aga Khan Hospital, Bliss, Jac­
mil and Tumaini supermarkets, cereal
shops, petrol stations like Kobil and
Shell and even rental houses.
Joseph Kihara, a manager at Jacmil
supermarket near Pipeline Estate stage
A huge gulley formed during the ongoing construction of Outer Ring Road.
entrances to business premises. [Denish Ochieng and James Wanzala, Standard]
agrees that they have lost business
since the road construction started.
"We had customers who used to stop
Outering project
by our supermarket but these days they
¦ Is among the projects in the
do not come due to accessibility chal­
next third­term projects of Vision
lenges. We also had a small parking
space right at the supermarket's
entrance, but it is no longer there," said
Kihara, who says they would be relocat­
ing soon and wait for the completion of
2030
¦When done the 13km eight­lane
way will make the Journey from
GSU roundabout to Taj Mall
roundabout take 15 minutes
the road.
instead of the usual 2 hours
A stone's throw away is Tumaini
Supermarket, which is situated in Pipe­
¦It will cost Sh7.3b and is
financed by African Development
Bank
line Estate that has also lost customers
due to the road construction hassles.
¦The project is 75 per cent
complete and expected to be fully
complete by September, 2017
¦It will have eight lanes with four
service roads having two lanes
with 10 footbridges and 450 trees
as part of landscaping
¦The road, which was launched
by President Uhuru Kenyatta on
January 22,2015, Is being built by
SinoHydro Corporation
Parking areas
'It has really affected our sales and
flow of customers. We had over 2,500
clients but today, they have reduced to
between 1,300 and 1,500 due to acces­
sibility challenges," said Geoffrey
Musau, the branch manager.
Mr Musau says their walk­in custom­
ers, especially like those who alight
from the Embakasi­bound train, which
stops right opposite their supermarket
in the evenings, have found it hard to
enter the supermarket.
"My appeal to the contractors is that
they put up a flyover or bumps near the
supermarket so that people from the
other side of the road can easily cross
to come and shop," suggests Musau.
Musau also says they are not planing
to move despite the fact they are only
receive her stock at night due to lack of
two metres from the road. The road has
space for overloading during the day
due to speeding vehicles along the road
that is just near her shop. Another chal­
lenge is uncovered storm water drain­
eaten into the space that was used for
client parking.
To Jonathan Mbithi, a manager at
Chariton Hotel near Avenue Park
age systems that she says recently a
bus plunged some of its tyres into it.
Estate, the dust left behind by the vehi­
cles is the main cause of worry. Nowa­
It has really affected
days they are forced to clean the hotel
out sales and flow of
customers. Before the
construction of the
Tenantstoo
Even as we chat with Mbithi, there is
a lorry right in front of the hotel. It
definitely makes life hard for anyone
seeking to access the premises.
A few metres away is a plot that has
road, we had over 2,500
clients but today, they
have reduced to 1,300 to
plastic bags covering the balcony one
1,500 due to accessibility
challenges
Geoffrey Musau, Tumaini Supermarket
branch manager.
"These uncovered storm water
drainage systems also risk my custom­
er's' lives while going to my shop," says
Ms Githinji.
The prayer of these businesspeople
two or three times a day.
one side of the plot that faces the road
to protect them from dust. These has
also resulted into some plots along the
road missing out on tenants due to
noise of vehicles and dust.
These are common scenes along the
road where vehicles are parked any­
where. Matatus also pick and drop cus­
tomers anywhere along the road incon­
veniencing passerby and businesses.
To Catherine Githinji, a cereals trader
along the road, the road construction
has been hard on her too.
"Business is down since the road
and residents is that the road will be
construction started. My business is
directly opposite Avenue Park Estate
where parents would even sent chil­
dren to buy cereals but now cannot
because even crossing the road from
the other side to this side is too danger­
ous," says Ms Githinji.
Ms Githinji says she is forced to
completed fast to save them from these
inconveniences. The 13km eight­lane
Outering Road, which starts at Taj Mall
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya
roundabout on North Airport Road and
ends at GSU exchange at Thika Road, is
75 per cent complete and expected to
be fully complete by September, 2017.