Kewanu announces his Xmas gift of better roads in Mendi

Source: Post Courier, December 28, 2012

By RAMCY WAMA

CHRISTMAS a time that people from all over the world celebrate the birth of Christ, Son of God born into this world more than 2000 years ago to save all mankind from their sins and give them hope.
It is also a time when individuals, friends, families and people from all walks of life get together and reflect on the past and look into the future with great hope and expectation of a brighter future.
Upon this basis, the Member for Mendi Munihu electorate De Kewanu used this year’s Christmas occassion to announce his plan of hope for his electorate - that he intends to see that all roads in his electorate are fixed.
After more that 30 years of living and accessing a deteriorated road network this is a great relief to his people.
Mr Kewanu is allocating K450,000 as an emergency response to address the deteriorating roads in his electorate, starting off with the Upper Mendi area.
Mr Kewanu announced this at Mogol Secondary School ground as a Christmas gift to the people last Saturday.
Mr Kewanu said road upgrading and sealing in the electorate was a priority for his government and administration.
“Road upgrading and sealing in Mendi Munihu electorate is my priority. For so many years, we have been deprived and suffered from accessing better roads despite the greater revenue our province generate from the resources in our soil.
“Therefore, my government is giving priority to all roads that are accessible or not accessible to be upgraded and sealed,” he said.
Mr Kewanu said the road projects in the electorate would be managed and inspected by the project managers, a newly established management group comprising engineers, accountants, managers and other required professions that was set up by his administration.
He said the project managers would make sure money or funds that were put into the electorate by his government or provincial government, National Government or donor agencies for projects in the electorate were implemented with money value.
“The project management group would comprises sons and daughters of Mendi who are professionals in various fields and who are transparent, accountable and have good testimony in their careers.
“I am putting together this project management group of professionals because many past years’ funds were released but the actual projects on the ground were not implemented.
“Mendi and Southern Highlands Province are known for giving contracts to companies who deliver the projects half-way or projects are not of money value.
“This time nothing will be served under the table. Projects will be given to reputable companies but will be managed by the project management group in making sure the projects are delivered and implemented with the value of money,” Mr Kewanu said.
He said the upgrading of the Upper Mendi road would commence early January 2013

Walking Tap Road - Recent Trip

The author's recent trip on tap road, an isolated road that links Mendi's last Karints and Kandep's Kambiya and Kolopa in Mariant Constituency

A typical morning in the early hours in Last Karints

Only form of service delivery in thsi area is local cattle farming that has just begun. Donations was given by Mendi MP recently.

Morning of last karints slowly clearing out as the hours ticked by.

Entrance to a bush material local church at last karints,

This is last karints elementary school established in 2008, already into it's third year of schooling. In the front is the lone teacher that looks after the school.

Section of the road once passable by vehicles has been havily destroyed by water erosion

typical setting of a village sweet potatoe garden, the main source of staple food in last karints

Notice how narrow the once all clear road has become over the years due to no service delivery. This is not a bush track but the main road.

Fresh water streams like this one is in abundance along the road while taking a road trip

This is an elementary school, namely sokom elementray on the Kandep side of the boarder.

Mendi Town to Last Karints

This post is about a road trip taken recently by Karinzo from Mendi town to Last Karints. The author was so fortunate to have a camera in hand to at least take some photograph along the way. rain and darkness caught up with em along the way and could not complete the photography session all the way to Last Karints but plans to complete that during 2011 Xmas.

This is the popular Magani betel nut (buai) market at Mendi town, taken during a rainy day. This is also the last pick up point by PMVs for Upper Mendi, Highway & Bush Karints as well.

Section of road just after leaving tente catholic mission which is also the section where the sealed/tar ends and onto rough section.

Photograph not clear but this is the road junction for Karints and Upper Mendi. On my right is the road to Upper Mendi and on the left is the Karints road.

This is a typical PMV load  from Mendi town to that part of the district. People just hanging out in the PMV housing without any fear for their lives, a significantly at risk behaviour.

This si the one lane bridge for Mendi River that flows from upper Mendi and part of bush Karints. Having the kind of load in the previous photo and having no guards or safety bams on the bridge, imagine how risky it would be like to the travellers hanging on the roofing of the PMV.

These photos shows the condition of the road between map, the junction of bush and highway karints and mendi river bridge.

This is Map, the junction of Bush and Highway Karints. On the right is the road to Bush karints and on the right is the road to highway Karints. The road to last karints is by following the Bush Karints road on the right.

Now this is the Bush Karints road just after leaving the map junction and heading this straight road.

This is the section of a road where two PMVs got stuck on either side hindering other PMVs from completing their route to Bela. This photo was taken at Kongnaltee.

Then its time to walk, passengers taking a walk and will continue for the rest of the journey. Road network here is very poor.

Now this is Bela, the junction of the road which leads to Kap, mulim etc. on the right and Heyap, Posulim, Pembi etc on the left. This two road do meet at Pingirip so to go to Last Karints, you can take either route. This si the PMV bush stop for the Bush Karints population and is only a K2.00 mile from town.

The section of the road between heyap and posulim are displayed in the following photos. It is only accessible by road land cruiser during dry season only. Rest of the time is all nightmare for travellers, muds up to angle's height and so slippery all along.

This is Posulim ples sing sing. road to last karints is on the right while on the left si the road to Tulum and back to mendi town via highway karints road. 

Kandep to Last Karints, Service Delivery

This post is about the service delivery by Kandep and Enga to Last Karinz. The entire eligible voters from population of Last Karinz all vote in the election for Kandep Open and Enga Regional seats. Therefore, the people of Last Karinz are without a doubt definite beneficiary to what the EPG and Kandep Open MP has to offer.

This is a section of the Kandep station road which was sealed and the National reported it to have been completed and certified. Good to see at least some sign of service delivery happening here in and around the central service delivery area here.

This is the Marinat bridge at a place called Soreng. Service delivery is hardly seen here with the bridge its self being improvised with pitpit instead of the durable treated timber. Such a condition starts from as far as a place called Pindak making vehicles impassable or very tiring to drive.

This is the state of the road at Pulya, close to the Kolopa 1 and 2 rest house, a 100% supporter base for the former DPM and Kandep open MP, Don Polye. This clearly indicates that Last Karinz may be in the bush with access only by bush track from Enga's Kandep side.

................to be edited & continued......................