Nicholas Muchemi on April 8, 2019 works on the road that connects his Kaganda village in Murarandia, Murang’a County to the local shopping centre. PHOTO | NDUNG'U GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 
A 45-year-old man from Kaganda village in Kiharu Constituency, Murang’a County has earned himself the tittle of “village hero” after he volunteered to singlehandedly turn a bushy, hilly area into a road.
Nicholas Muchami decided to build a one-kilometre road connecting the locals to Kaganda shopping centre after the one they were using was blocked by the land owner who said they were trespassing on his farm and threatened to take an unspecified action if the locals continued passing through his property.
It was then that the villagers started using the long circuitous route, about four kilometres, to the shopping centre since the two-kilometre official road was not passable as it was on a hilly, bush area.
SACRIFICED TIME, WAGES
Mr Muchami, a casual labourer, said he sacrificed his time and used his wages sparingly for the six days he spent making the deserted road passable.
Armed with a fork jembe, a spade, an axe and a jerrican of water to quench his thirst, Mr Muchemi endured the scorching sun and would wake up as early as 6am and work until 6pm, all in a bid to save the locals from trekking for four kilometres to buy their commodities at Kaganda shopping centre.
With the new road, the journey was halved by two kilometres.
He told the Nation that his constant pleas to local leaders to have the road built forced him to take it up upon himself to work on it singlehandedly.
“I had made desperate appeals to the local leaders to have the road built but all in vain. It was then that I decided to build it using my farm tools for the sake of women and children and to save time,” he said.
RELIEF FOR LEARNERS
The road is now also being used by students and pupils of Kaganda Secondary School and Kaganda Primary School.
Interestingly, Murarandia MCA David Kiiru Ng’ang’a’s home is barely a kilometre away, and locals said they have shared with him their sentiments on the road for long but there has been no action.
Mr Muchemi said he is yet to finish levelling the entire road.
He suspended the work to enable him get back to his casual labour in order to sustain himself when he returns to finish the half kilometre section which is remaining.
GREAT RESPECT
His efforts have earned him great respect from locals who have expressed gratitude, saying that only God can repay him for his selflessness.
Josephine Wairimu, 68, said she had stopped going to church due to poor accessibility but with the new road, she will now resume come next Sunday, thanks to Mr Muchami.
“We owe him a lot. In fact I will be marshalling locals to at least give him food to eat as he works on the remaining part of the road. I am also happy that I will now resume going to the church, two years since I stopped due to the poor state of the road which is also on a hilly area. My body is weak,” she told the Nation.
Ms Wairimu said news of Mr Muchami’s selfless efforts should reach President Uhuru Kenyatta, whom she said should honour and reward him for his work.
The news about Mr Muchami’s work on the road has gone viral on social media platforms with many terming him as the best example of a patriot.
Well-wishers have been trooping to Mr Muchami’s home with gifts.
Led by Ms Esther Wanjiku, the well-wishers congratulated Mr Muchemi and urged the government to compliment his efforts by upgrading the road.
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