The design for dual carriageway from Thika to Isiolo is almost complete and construction is expected to start soon.
The road will be constructed in not less than three years, but should be completed before 2022 as it will be one of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s legacy.
The government is negotiating with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to get credit for the road construction.
Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) chairman Erastus Mwongera on Friday said they will today meet all stakeholders in Nairobi for public participation.
The meeting will discuss the pros and cons of the development and the stage of the project at the moment.
“The dual carriageway is on course. The starting time is dependent on how soon we agree on the funding arrangement with the AfDB, because we cannot fund everything,” he said. The Kenha chairman did not say how much the road is expected to cost.
Mwongera said part of the condition from the bank is to bring together all players for talks.
After the public participation is done, the board will meet and approve the credit and put it in the budget, he said.
“Our projection and expectations is that we will start this road in the next financial year.”
The road will start from Kenol in Murang’a to Nyeri through Marua-Nanyuki and to Isiolo.
The road, known as North South road, will be from Cape Town in South Africa and will go through Isiolo, Moyale, Ethiopia to Cairo in Egypt.
Mwongera spoke in Chaka, Nyeri county, when he handed over an ablution block constructed by Kenha to the county government. The ablution built at Chaka market was part of Kenha’s corporate social responsibility. The toilet will be managed by the county government.
He urged residents who have set structures along the road reserve to give way, saying those who have built inside the road will be asked to remove the structures.
If the road will need alignment and touch on structures and private farms, the owners will be compensated, the chairman said.
“Either way the alignment must be achieved, otherwise it will not qualify to be a dual carriageway,” he said.
Kenha director general Peter Mundinia told residents that local leaders will be fully involved and 40 per cent of the construction budget will go to residents.
The infrastructure development may be counterproductive and may cause pollution to the environment such as pollution from vehicles’ emissions.
To solve the problem, he said, Kenha will plant trees to absorb carbon dioxide emitted by vehicles.
Others, he said, may include smoke emitted, noise and vibration from vehicles and called on residents to give the road more space which will also enable planting of trees to absorb the gas.
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and Kieni MP Kanini Kega were present.
