Construction of a dual carriage from Kenol town in Murang’a to Sagana along Nairobi – Nyeri road has kicked off.
The contractor doing the road has already done site clearing and top soil stripping in 17 kilometres from Kenol town.
Murang’a County Development Implementation and Coordination Committee (CDICC) during inspection of the ongoing works on Thursday, established that the contractor is also progressing well with mobilization of equipment and needed personnel.
Currently, key staff mobilization is at 80 percent with the site agent, material, highway, survey, structure and measurement engineers being on site.
The contractor doing the 49-kilometre section of the road, Jiangxi Transportation Engineering Group has also mobilized equipment which is at 37 percent.
The dual carriage road funded by African Development Bank and Government of Kenya at the tune of Sh. 8.5 billion is slated to take 36 months for completion.
The contractor informed the CDICC that the works were slowed down by the ongoing rains assuring that the works will be accelerated once the rains subsidize.
The government is committed to construct the dual carriage from Kenol to Marua in Nyeri with the second phase earmarked to start from Sagana by next year.
Recently when Transport Cabinet secretary Mr. James Macharia visited Murang’a, he observed that expanding the road will boost economic activities between Nairobi and northern parts of Kenya.
The future plans of the government, Macharia said, is to make the dual carriage reach Isiolo county and connect with the Lappset.
Local residents have hailed the project saying it will ease traffic jams which for long have been witnessed between Sagana and Kenol.
Paul Waweru, a lorry driver on Thursday told KNA he spends more time between Tana river bridge and Kenol due to traffic jams along the road.
“The dual carriage will be of big benefit to people in the larger Mount Kenya region as it will facilitate easy movement of people and goods,” added Waweru.
The chairman of the CDICC Mr. Mohammed Barre assured the contractor of maximum security during the construction of the road.
“We will continue monitoring the progress of this road till we are sure it will be completed in the given time. Security officers will be on ground to provide needed security and protect construction materials of the contractor,” he added.
Apart from the dualing of the road, the government is also constructing Mau Mau road which links counties in east and west of Aberdare forest.
The 500-kilometre road which will cost sh. 30 billion is earmarked to spur economic growth between Mount Kenya and Rift Valley regions.
By Bernard Munyao
