After years of waiting, residents of Mwingi North in Kitui County have expressed optimism that the tarmacking of the Kamuw’ongo-Kandwia road will unlock many opportunities in the Eastern region.
The construction of the 13-kilometre stretch was launched by President Ruto during his tour of Ukambani last week.
It is part of the 109-kilometre-long Mwingi-Kamuw’ongo-Irira-Ciangera that links the Thika-Garissa road at Mwingi to Buuri-Katheri-Meru-Chaaria-Mitunguu-Kathwana-Ishiara-Ena Road.
Morris Mutambuki, a filling station operator at Kamuw’ongo, said the launch heralds a new beginning for the region, noting that locals have lost many opportunities over the years due to the poor state of the road.
“The President launched it here, and we will now have a road from here to Tseikuru with tarmac,” said Mutambuki, adding that business will thrive upon its completion.
“The business here, honestly, with the opening of that road, I think it will grow,” he said.
Once the construction of the road is completed, he said that his fuel business will grow because of the influx of vehicles and motorcycles.
“What I know is that once this road is opened, we will get more customers because travelling will be easy,” he stated.
He underscored the significance of the road, saying it connects Kamuw’ongo with towns and cities such as Kitui, Embu, Meru, Marimandi, Garissa and Nairobi.
“It was extremely difficult using this road, especially during the rainy season, but if it goes well, we are very grateful that the President came here himself to launch it,” he said.
Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Acting Director General Luka Kimeli said that the construction of the road is expected to be completed in 24 months.
The Mwingi-Kamuwongo-Ciangera section is part of the Kibwezi–Mutomo–Kitui–Migwani–Mbondoni–Mwingi road, which forms part of the Mombasa–Isiolo–Moyale (into Addis Ababa) Road Corridor Development Project, he said.
The Kamuwongo–Kandwia Section also forms part of the sequence of planned links northwards towards Kyuso–Usueni–Mikinduri–Isiolo and Moyale (feeding into the A2 “Great North corridor” whose ambitions is to connect the coast (Mombasa) to northern Kenya and onward to Ethiopia and beyond, he said.
He said that the road would stimulate socioeconomic growth by cutting time and transport costs while also linking local farmers and traders to bigger markets in Mwingi and Tseikuru.
“Faster, cheaper access to Mwingi markets and onward routes increases farm gate prices and reduces post-harvest losses,” he observed.
“A bitumen road enables faster police, fire, and emergency medical response between Mwingi town, Kamuwongo, Kandwia and Ciangera, critical during floods, drought relief distribution or outbreaks,” he pointed out.
He said that the construction also comes as a source of income since the contractor is under instructions to hire locals on the site.
Tabitha Kilonzo, a trader, narrated the struggles locals and motorists have been going through because of poor state of roads, which gets worse during the rainy season.
“We have suffered on this road; vehicles get stuck during the rainy season. Majority of us here have never seen a road being tarmacked, but the President came here himself and launched it,” she said, adding the region had been sidelined by successive administrations.
“We are thankful because the President launched the tarmacking of the 13 kilometres, which will connect Kanduya, and he also said that the tarmacking will proceed to Tembewo and up to Usueni. We are very happy because the President is fulfilling his promise,” she said.
He said here that he is going to uplift the lives of people of Ukambani and Kamuw’ogwo, and because of the tarmacking of this road, vehicles ferrying fresh produce from Meru, like vegetables and bananas, will arrive here faster, and our market will grow, said Tabitha.
“In the past, vegetables used to get here almost badly because of the poor state of roads,” she recalled.
“But now, the distance between Meru and Kamuw’ogwo has been shortened, and it has come with a lot of benefits, and our market will grow.”
