Residents raise concerns over poor state of Keroe Street in Eastleigh

Residents of Eastleigh's California Estate are raising concerns about the poor condition of Keroe Street, which has been severely eroded by floods over time. The road, once a busy thoroughfare, is now almost unrecognisable due to the many potholes.

When it rains, these potholes fill with water, making navigation difficult. Due to their size, the water trapped in the potholes takes weeks to clear, worsening the condition of the road. Additionally, stagnant water poses a health hazard to the residents.

Keroe Street is home to several businesses, including hospitals, food wholesalers, shops, restaurants, and beauty parlours. There are also many residential apartments housing thousands of people. The street is a vital route for school-going children, especially those attending nearby madrasas.

Keroe connects Marimbi Street to General Wariungi Street at Nomad Palace Hotel.

Hussein Abdullahi, who runs a shop on this street, expressed frustration over the difficulty delivery vehicles face in reaching his store.

"Big lorries that should be delivering goods to my shop fear using this road, it is so bad," said Hussein, adding that some commercial vehicles get stuck because of the potholes, hence the drivers avoid using the road.

Current state of Keroe Street which connects Marimbi Street to General Wariungi Street at Nomad Palace Hotel. (Photo: Abdirahman Khalif)

Ahmed Harun, who runs a wholesale shop, echoed Hussein's concerns, stating that the poor condition of the road makes it challenging for delivery vehicles to access his business. "Running our business has become difficult. I hope the road gets repaired," he said.

Michael Kamau, a taxi driver, pointed to property developers as part of the problem. He claimed that they have grabbed large parts of the road's sewage system, which has led to poor drainage.

"There is no drainage on this street because it was destroyed, that is why you see all this stagnant water here," said Kamau.

He also complained about the damage to his vehicle from driving on the road, saying, "Three days ago I got a puncture after driving through these potholes, they are dangerous."

The condition of Keroe Street stands in stark contrast to other roads in California, many of which have been recently tarmacked. Waudo and Timboroa are among the newly completed roads in this rapidly growing estate.

Residents hope that the road will also be tarmacked soon, as its current state continues to cause significant problems.

They urged the County and the National government to take swift action to repair Keroe Street, restoring it to a condition that supports the needs of the area's residents and businesses.