Bridge to Bring Relief to Croc-Infested Area
Daniel Nyassy
29 October 2009



Nairobi — Four pupils, two parents and a baby are among those killed by crocodiles and hippos while crossing river Galana in Chakama division, Malindi district in the recent past.

Among them was a Bombi Primary School standard six pupil, Rehema Kahindi Mramba who was cut into two by a hippo recently.

The headmaster Mr Donald Mdzomba told the press at the school on Wednesday that the building of a Sh20 million suspended bridge by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) had brought great relief in the area.

He was speaking during the official opening ceremony of the bridge by PCEA Moderator Rt. Rev. David Gathanju who also opened a church and a dispensary the church built at Bombi.

"The crocodile and hippo menace dictated life in this area. During the rainy season like now, pupils were cut off from their homes and had to camp at school apart from many of them losing their lives," said Mr Mdzomba.

A teacher Mr Robert Katana Mramba said three pupils and a parent had been eaten by crocodiles while his cousin, Rehema and a mother with her baby had been killed by hippos recently.

"We picked only the head of the man while the bodies of the other victims have not been seen," said Mr Mramba.

He said at least three members of each of the 50 families living along the Galana River had scars from crocodile or hippo attacks.


Rev. Gathanju urged the Bombi community to form a committee to take care of the bridge that would change their lives.

Addressing the residents at the site, Rev Gathanju said, "This bridge is for you. You must take great care to give it a longer lifespan. This is for your own benefit."

The construction of the bridge was funded by Gorta, an Irish NGO, PCEA, American Investment Group (AIG) among others.

According to the contractor Mr Harmon Parker who is director of Bridging the Gap organisation, the bridge has a 50-year life span if well taken care of.

"This 112 meter long suspension bridge is of its own type in Africa. It's stable, heavy and not disturbed by wind," he said. The bridge was designed by an American engineer, Mr Cris Rollins.

Kathi:

Of course, this will not be a reported story in US media. Despite the so called "world of communication" we in the western media remain as totally ignorant today of life in rural Africa as we were when the Brits first gave us a glimpse of Africa (yes,even as an Irishman, I do acknowledge they were good and they were first)

american media ha to stay politicaly correct and it's not corect to pint out the way life really is. might hunt someones feelings