President William Ruto today inspected the progress on the Kulamawe-Garbatulla section of the 750 km Isiolo-Mandera road.
This strategic road forms a vital part of the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project, a flagship infrastructure initiative aimed at transforming transport networks, boosting trade, and enhancing connectivity across northern Kenya.
During the inspection, the President, who was accompanied by his deputy, Kithure Kindiki, assessed ongoing construction work, including road surfacing.
Earlier on, Ruto presided over the disbursement of Sh63 million NYOTA start-up capital to 2, 520 youth drawn from all 30 wards in Garissa County.
In February 2025, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) confirmed the receipt of World Bank funding for the project, which is scheduled for completion in 2027.
By May 2025, construction of the multi-billion-shilling highway was underway.
The road, which links Isiolo, Kula Mawe, Modogashe, Samatar, Wajir, Tarbaj, Kotulo, Kobo, Elwak, Garre, Rhamu and Mandera, has been divided into 11 sections and awarded to seven contractors to accelerate completion within two years.
Once complete, the highway is expected to significantly improve security operations, boost trade and ease the movement of people and goods across the region.
Travel time between Isiolo and Mandera is projected to drop from about 96 hours to just 12 hours.
The project is also expected to strengthen regional integration by improving connectivity between Kenya and neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa, while supporting the broader vision of transforming Isiolo into a major resort and logistics hub under the Lapsset Corridor.
