The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the county governments of Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot to roll out a new road maintenance technology that will be used to construct and renovate impassible roads in the Kerio Valley.
This initiative is aimed at opening up the two counties that have been facing regular insecurity isuses.
Do-nou Technology, the new road maintenance technology will see several key roads in the two counties improved, in a move locals say will help open up the area.
West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet counties have poor road networks said to be contributing to the insecurity situation.
But with the use of Do-nou Technology, locals in the two counties are hoping for a drop in insecurity, and an improvement in ease of transporting their farm produce to the market.
Kerio Valley, which is in the two counties is a rich agricultural area, known for producing mangoes and potatoes.
Mangoes and potato farmers in Kapyego and Lomut will be the biggest beneficiaries of the use of the new Do-nou Technology.
“This road will help us in many ways, especially transportation of our farm produce to reach the market,” said one of the locals.
“We plant potatoes but the issue has always been how they reach the market. The roads were very poor and getting vehicles to transport them has always been a huge challenge,” added another local, who is also a farmer in the area.
Other locals believe that with improved road network, courtesy of Do-nou Technology, it will be easier to enhance police patrol, and in process curb high cases of cattle rustling that has been rampant in the region.
“We have roads that connect this region and at times it is hard to even access it for the security team when chasing bandits, but with better roads, it will be easier,” noted a government official in the region.
The locals now want Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot counties to allocate more funds to facilitate construction and renovation of more roads.
‘Do-nou’ is Japanese word that means wrapping soil in a gunny bag. Do-nou Technology involves use of gunny bags filled appropriately with either sand, farm soil, gravel, or murram, the opening properly tied and then, compacted manually.