The completion of the Mau Mau road that is traversing the three counties of Kiambu, Nyeri and Nyandarua will open up the agriculturally rich region and ease transport.
The road, a flagship project of President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to be completed around the months of March or April in 2023.
Mau Mau road is being constructed by the Kenya National Highway Authority at a cost of Sh 30 billion and comprises 540 kms to connect the three Mt Kenya regions.
According to Nyeri County Commissioner (CC) Lyford Kibaara “the access corridor through the road will ease traffic jams that will be a thing of the past.”
Kibaara added “This is an agricultural area with tea and other produce that these people will be having on their farms and will have easy access to markets and also minimize the cost of transportation.”
He was speaking at Ihururu town, Tetu Sub County when he led members of the County Development Implementation Coordination Committee (CDICC) after an inspection tour of the project, Nyeri section that comprises 100 km and will consume about Sh 4.3 billion.
The CC said that the committee was impressed by the ongoing works though the contractor, SinoHyrdo Corporation Limited, and is lagging behind due to the weather challenges The contractor has done about 14.8 per cent short of the expected 30 per cent but promised to recover the lost time within the next three months.
He assured the residents who have been affected by the relocation of water pipes from the main road that water will start flowing from their taps.
“I want to assure the residents here that the area that was excavated between Ihururu and Jua Kali will be fixed and water tested for people to have water,” Kibaara said.
He further added that there is another area that fixing of pipes will be fast-tracked to ensure people received the commodity with minimal disruptions.
Kibaara said plans had been made with the contractor to use water bouncers to supply water to other residents affected by the relocation of the pipes along the road.
He suspended two ball pits where the contractor was getting construction materials after issues emerged on the health and safety of the residents.
“It won’t be healthy in the area that goes to Kihingo primary school but people should not get worried,” said the CC.
He advised people wanting to lease their parcels for excavation of construction materials to consult widely from the office of the Deputy County Commissioner and the Environment department to ensure the area remained safe after the completion of the road and that the ball pits will not be prone to landslides in the hilly area.
By Mwangi Gaitha
