• County commissioner Jim Njoka said the government has provided over Sh1.2 billion to go towards sewerage and water project for Kerugoya and Kutus towns.
• The 14.7-kilometre Kerugoya-Old Kangaita road is under construction at a cost of Sh396, 410,875.
The completion of 300 kilometres of roads in Kirinyaga county will ease the transportation of horticultural and food produce to various markets.
County commissioner Jim Njoka said this year alone, the government will spend over Sh2 billion in the road improvement projects.
Njoka said the government has also provided over Sh1.2 billion to go towards sewerage and water project for Kerugoya and Kutus towns.
The administrator spoke in Kerugoya during a service delivery meeting.
Under the road improvement project, Njoka said, the 14.7-kilometre Kerugoya-Old Kangaita road was under construction at a cost of Sh396, 410,875.
Others earmarked for improvement include those connecting Kianyaga to Muchagara, Muchagara- Kamugunda and Mutithi- Kirwara- Makutano.
He said all the roads under focus will improve access to the agriculturally rich areas while serving several public primary and secondary schools.
“On a positive note, labour-based projects have offered numerous employment opportunities to residents of the area,” Njoka said.
The county commissioner said some of the roads have already been completed providing easy access to major towns.
“The project has also reflected increase in land value,” he said.
Njoka said the construction of the Sh1.6 billion Kutus –Kianyaga - Githure – Kiamutugu road, a stretch of 30 kilometres is on course.
The project falls under the 10,000km roads programme and is being implemented through the Kenya Rural Roads Authority.
In 2013 Kirinyaga county had only 28,000 households connected to the national grid since Independence.
“However, currently 85,000 households in this county have been connected to power, while Sh900 million has been set aside during this financial year to supply electricity to an extra 20,000 residents,” Njoka said.
He said Sh19 billion Thiba Dam which is at 26 per cent completion will improve food security by enabling rice farmers to practice farming throughout the year.
“We anticipate the dam will be complete and operational by 2021 so that water shortage among farmers in Mwea area will be solved,” Njoka said.
(edited by O. Owino)