Former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has made his first public appearance since his dismissal from the cabinet in July when President William Ruto sacked his entire cabinet.
Speaking in a church service in Meru County on Sunday, September 1, where deputy president Rigathi Gachagua was in attendance, Linturi asked Gachagua to remind President Ruto of the Nithi Bridge in Tharaka Nithi County.
The former CS noted that when the Head of State was seeking support from Meru residents ahead of the 2022 general elections, he promised to complete the redesign of Nithi Bridge six months after taking office.
Linturi asked the deputy president to remind the president that the bridge continues to claim more lives and that the design needs to be completed even as he added that the Meru residents supported the government.
"We as Meru people love the president. We fought for this government and we will support it. Mr. Deputy President, let me add to you what you will remind the president. Less than a month before the election, the president promised that the design of Nithi Bridge would be complete in six months upon taking office. Remind him the Nithi Bridge has continued to kill our people and we want it completed. It’s very unfortunate we lost 12 lives of people from Meru yesterday," Linturi remarked.
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Speaking during the church service, Gachagua affirmed that the Roads Principal Secretary had assured him that the design of the bridge is almost complete.
"I called the PS when you saw me walk outside to get an update on the pledge made by the president. He has told me the designs are almost complete and I have told him to speed up the process,” Gachagua stated.
On Saturday, August 31, twelve people lost their lives after being involved in a nasty road crash in the Nithi Bridge area.
Tharaka Nithi police commander Zaccheus Ng'eno confirmed the accident.
The accident involved a Nairobi-bound hired private Toyota Hiace and a Toyota Hilux driven toward Chogoria.
The Nithi Bridge has previously claimed dozens of lives through accidents.