- Kenol-Marua-Isiolo road will be turned into a dual carriageway
- It will serve six counties in Mt Kenya region
Image: ALICE WAITHERA
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has said the Kenol-Murang’a road will be expanded.
The road that was initially to be upgraded to a dual carriageway will be widened from Kenol town to Sagana.
Macharia said the government decided to upgrade Kenol-Marua-Isiolo road to a dual carriageway even though Murang’a residents had asked the government to upgrade both.
Macharia spoke on Friday at Gaichanjiru Boys High School in Kandara during its 60th anniversary.
He said the number of vehicles passing through the dual carriageway is about five times more than those going through the Sagana-Murang’a-Kenol road.
“I know requests had been made to have both roads done but we decided to dual one and expand the other so that Murang’a people will not feel left out. I can commit that the expansion is coming as well,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
He said the economic benefits of the Kenol-Marua-Isiolo dual carriageway are much higher as it will connect the Northern Corridor in Thika to the Lapsset Corridor in Isiolo.
“Connecting the two development corridors will accrue major benefits to the country. The dual carriageway will go through six counties in the Mt Kenya region which are key in economic productivity” he said.
The long awaited project, he said, will start in October and tender has already been advertised.
He said the tender floated on July 15 is international and requires 90 days for processing.
The first phase of the project will cover 135km from Kenol to Nyeri while in the second phase the remaining 150km to Isiolo will be covered.
Due to the size of the tender, the CS said major international companies are expected to bid.
The project is co-funded by the national government and the African Development Bank and has to be done to international standards, he said.
“The plan is to construct a modern highway that will serve the nation for decades."
He said structures along the road will be demolished but the project has factored compensation.
Macharia said tenders have been advertised for two roads cutting through the region the President said should be constructed.
The Kinyona-Gatura-Njabini-Naivasha road will connect Murang’a, Nyandarua and Nakuru counties and help boost trade.
Another road used by Mau Mau fighters during the struggle for Independence cuts through Kiambu, Murang’a and Nyeri counties.
The two tenders were advertised last week, the CS said.
Macharia said the government has construct 8,000km of the 10,000km of roads promised in 2013.
The roads are equitably distributed to all parts of the country and the remaining kilometres will be completed before 2022.