17km of Kibwezi-Kitui-Mwingi to remain untarmacked

Some Kitui leaders have protested the decision to reduce the length of the Kibwezi-Kitui-Mwingi road by 17 kilometres "due to funding constraints".

They accuse the government of defaulting on the pledge to fully tarmac the 420-kilometre road.

One of the leaders, Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna, has given notice to the local police that he will lead a demonstration against the decision to leave out the 17-km section.

The Sh18.5 billion road, which is 85 per cent complete, starts at Kibwezi on the Nairobi-Mombasa road, through Mutomo, Ikanga, Kitui and Mwingi, a distance of 317 kilometres excluding ring roads and bypasses.

It was planned to end at Migwani town in Mwingi West, where it would have been linked to the Thika–Garissa highway.

The road is part of the Northern Corridor (under Vision 2030 – the economic blueprint intended to make Kenya industrialised by 2030). It is meant to connect Eastern and Northeastern counties to the port of Mombasa. 

Nguna, in a letter to Transport CS James Macharia, questions the rationale of not connecting the road to the Thika-Garissa highway. 

“This is a Class B road, which had been neglected for decades.  Its essence was to connect Mombasa and Kitui and ease the mobility of goods and services,” he tells the CS.

Kenya National Highways Authority board chairman Wangai Ndirangu appreciated the concerns of Kitui leaders and promised that the project will eventually be completed after the budgetary constraints are sorted out.

As of now, the contract with Chinese contractor Sino Hydro Construction has been terminated.

“Additional funds will be sought to do the remaining part. The initial Sh18.5 billion was a loan from China. We’re working on the modalities to mobilise funds to ensure continuity,” Ndirangu said.

The road passes through 12 constituencies in Kitui and Makueni counties.

Ndirangu told journalists during a tour of the project: “By February next year, we expect the project, which was launched in December 2016, to be completed. Kenha will continue engaging all stakeholders including local leadership in ensuring its smooth implementation.”