When two handrail posts on the pedestrian footbridge gave way under rust in early August, the crossing that hundreds of Gituamba residents use every morning to reach Kasarani town, the market, and Roysambu became noticeably more dangerous for schoolchildren, elderly residents, and traders carrying goods on their heads.
Gituamba Bridge Kasarani C.B.O. flagged the damage to the Kasarani Sub-County engineering office within 48 hours of a member reporting it during a routine morning walk-through. While a permanent county repair was scheduled for the following quarter, our team could not wait: the short rains were forecast to raise the stream level within days.
A team of six volunteers, working alongside two local welders and a retired fundi who has maintained the crossing informally for over a decade, replaced 14 meters of handrail using galvanized pipe donated by a Kasarani hardware supplier at cost. Work was completed in a single weekend to avoid disrupting the morning school and market rush.
“We cross this bridge four times a day with our children. When the rail gives way underfoot, it is not an inconvenience, it is a real risk of someone falling into the water below.”
— Resident who uses the crossing daily
This is the third informal repair our members have coordinated on the footbridge since 2021, and it underlines why one of our five program pillars is dedicated specifically to infrastructure advocacy: a CBO named for a bridge cannot look away when the bridge itself is unsafe.
We continue to push the county government for a permanent concrete upgrade and proper lighting along the approach path, and we are grateful to everyone who gave labor, materials, or time this month. If you would like to support future rapid-response repairs, see our Get Involved page for how to contribute tools, materials, or skilled labor.
Your donation or volunteer hour goes directly into work like the story above — not overhead.
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