Kikuyu’s new bus park was expected to bring order to public transport and breathe new life into businesses around the town Instead traders and matatu operators are still waiting for the facility to open.
The modern bus park has been constructed with new kiosks and stalls, but it is yet to become fully operational with electrification among the outstanding works.
The delay has left traders who are expected to occupy the new spaces waiting, while matatu operators want to return to the facility and resume operations.
“Tunasumbuka sana….mtuharakishie hii project. tafadhali,” One of the matatu operators said.
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For Kikuyu town, the bus park is more than a transport facility, It is closely tied to the movement of people and the businesses that depend on daily commuter traffic.
Traders told the County Assembly Departmental Committee on Roads, Public Works and Infrastructure that they want the newly constructed kiosks allocated without further delays.
Matatu operators, meanwhile, asked the county to allow them back into the bus park and provide offices for already established SACCOs.
The concerns emerged when the committee, chaired by Patrick Mwiberi, visited the facility as part of a fact-finding exercise.
“The committee will use its oversight role to fast-track the completion of any outstanding works by the contractor and ensure the Department of Roads brings the project to completion,” part of the committee’s statement read.
A project caught between construction and use
The situation at Kikuyu raises a wider question about county infrastructure projects, when does a completed construction project actually become a public service?
While the physical structures are largely in place, the lack of electricity and other outstanding works means the facility is yet to serve the purpose for which it was built.
For traders, every additional day the facility remains closed means continued uncertainty over when they can move into their new premises.
For matatu operators, reopening the bus park could provide a more organised space for public transport operations.
The committee has now promised to use its oversight role to push the contractor and the county’s Roads Department to complete the remaining works.
The immediate issue is completing the outstanding works, particularly electrification, and setting a clear timeline for opening the facility.
But the county will also need to address the concerns raised by traders and matatu SACCOs over allocation of spaces and offices.
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