Africa news

Sierra Leone’s homegrown road construction company, Gento Group, is hated by some members of the public for its snail-pace in building roads across the country.

The civil engineering firm gets its name from its owner who is called Mohamed Gento Kamara.

The company which had enjoyed some comforts and good public praises under the previous leadership of ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma, is now rupturing its enduring reputation it has started building over the years.

The Gento Group is contacted by the sitting government, having the tasks to build several township roads of Kono and in Waterloo town in the Western Rural area.

But since the civil engineers and labour workers of Gento firm had started road works in Kono and in Waterloo, several streets are still not being completed.

For example, Ibo town which is connected to several streets, in the heart of Waterloo, is left unattended.

And during the previous rains, in Ibo town, historically a Creole dominated area, streets were filled with rainwater on some potholes which are almost equal to some open graves. And Creole residents there were grumbling in silent tones as streets become narrow with splashing water pervading the squeezed out road passages.

We, however;  have several times walked up to engineers at Gento Group’s office, which is just few metres from Ibo town, but an engineer there had repeatedly been declining interviews requested by us.

Few months ago, a road work at Hornson Street stretching downwards to Ibo town had merely started by May last year but work stopped while road is incomplete.

The situation in the rural urban might be similar in Kono where the company is yet to finish the several township roads it was contracted for by the government.

As we follow up on this issue we hope, next time, the Gento Company will explain to us why there are more roads left to be completed in Waterloo and Kono.