Baringo County has spent about Sh180 million in upgrading roads in four of its urban centres to bitumen standards over the last one year.
County governor Stanley Kiptis said a total of 40 kilometres in Mogotio, Eldama Ravine, Kabartonjo and Chemolingot have been completed, while those in Kabarnet and Marigat towns were at the final stages of completion.
Speaking in Kabarnet town, Kiptis said his government will continue to allocate more resources for the upgrade programme in subsequent financial years to ensure modern infrastructure at the six sub county headquarters with a view to attracting potential investment and creating jobs for local youth.
During the same period, the governor disclosed that the county government managed to open up 1,815 kilometres of rural roads and maintained another 1,417 kilometres across the county, thus easing movement of people and goods for accelerated economic development.
“It is well documented fact that tourism, marketing of goods, labour mobilization, industrialization, mineral and energy exploitation, agricultural and other economic activities all ride on good infrastructure,” he said.
On a previous Sh80 million Imarisha Barabara programme launched in April last year to improve and maintain 600 kilometres of roads in all wards, the governor said they have managed to cover 20 kilometers in 20 wards.
He singled out the opening up of Barbachun-Chemoe as one of the milestones of the Imarisha Barabara initiative that has so far aided security agencies in recovering stolen livestock by cattle rustlers.
Meanwhile, since 2013 the county government has acquired 14 road equipment machines and 38 crossing structures including footbridges and several box culverts which have greatly improved mobility of people and goods especially during the rainy seasons.
By Felix Kipruto and Joshua Kibet
