The tarmacking of link roads to bitumen standards has brought a significant transformation in Nakuru city by opening up new areas for development and boosting economic growth.
The City Manager Gitau Thabanja said the extensive upgraded road networks is a collaboration between the World Bank and the county government, whose aim was to improve the infrastructure of the city to conventional and suitable standards. He was speaking today during the tour of the upgraded roads at Kanu Street.
He said enhancing road connectivity and improving the overall transport infrastructure would address traffic congestion and intensify security in various neighborhoods within the city, emphasizing that street lights will be installed along the roads to enable long hours of business.
Among the notable roads that have so far been upgraded to bitumen standards are the crater climb road, which leads to the famous Menengai Crater, Tom Mboya, Flamingo, Kipchoge Keino, as well as Kinuthia Mbogua road.
He noted that Kanu Street has the highest revenue collection for the county government due to its popularity with both locals and international tourists who enjoy the numerous affordable hotels along the extensive streets, which is referred to as the ‘life of the party within the city.’
Thabanja added that high-quality infrastructure provides direct positive impacts, including efficiency, increased safety, decreased environmental effects, and more effective delivery of public goods and services.
The chairman of tourism in the county, David Mwangi said the upgrading and expansion of roads and walkways have made Nakuru County the most preferred area for local tourists.
Mwangi gave the example of the just concluded World Rally Championship (WRC), popularly known as Safari Rally, which was estimated to have injected Sh4 billion into the Nakuru County economy, as an indicator of what lies in store for the county, as long as the infrastructure and security are enhanced.
By Veronica Bosibori
