Eke Lane in Utagba-Ogbe is more than just a stretch of road — it is the gateway to Eke Market, the biggest and busiest market in Kwale, and one of the most important revenue sources for Ndokwa West Local Government Area. Every market day, millions of naira flow into the LGA’s coffers from levies, permits, and daily ticket sales. Yet, despite this prosperity, the road that leads to it is an eyesore of mud, potholes, and neglect.

The situation is a bitter irony. How can a market that fuels the local government’s revenue be so poorly served by the very administration it sustains? For traders, the journey into the market is a struggle. Vehicles bump and swerve through craters, customers tiptoe through muddy puddles, and transport fares shoot up because of the bad road. In the rainy season, Eke Lane transforms into a swamp, forcing many buyers to stay away and cutting into the earnings of hardworking traders.

This neglect is not about lack of funds — it is about misplaced priorities. Fixing Eke Lane will not drain Ndokwa West’s treasury. In truth, a small portion of the revenue from Eke Market alone could rehabilitate this vital access road to a decent, motorable standard. The absence of such investment sends a troubling message: that the comfort, safety, and economic stability of market users are secondary to other, less urgent concerns.

Chief Obi Nzete, Chairman of Ndokwa West LGA, owes it to the people to address this. A market that generates so much for the local government deserves better than to be surrounded by decay. Improving Eke Lane will boost business, attract more customers, and show that the LGA values the very community that sustains it.

Eke Lane’s story should not be one of prosperity lost to potholes. It should be a testament to good governance, where revenue is reinvested into infrastructure that supports commerce and community life. The people of Kwale deserve a road worthy of their market — and they deserve it now.