Restaurant owners along the Kenol -Sagana highway have applauded the government for expanding the Kenol-Sagana -Marua highway to a dual carriage saying this has improved their businesses tremendously.
They attributed the growth and progress they are experiencing to the expansion of the Nairobi Sagana highway to a dual carriage.
Notably restaurants, eateries and petrol stations line up the highway and have increasingly become popular stopovers for motorists heading to or from Mt Kenya region.
One of the businessmen, Mr George Nyakundi, a restaurant owner along the highway told KNA that the business has been on a steady rise with many customers frequenting his restaurant including those involved in the road construction.
“We serve hundreds of customers every day and at times even parking space becomes a problem due to the huge numbers,” he stated.
He attests that for the seven years he has sold freshly barbeque meat popularly known as nyama choma to motorists and passers-by, there is not a single day he has failed to make a profit.
“I have never gone home empty-handed or even failed to pay my three employees or the suppliers because even in these harsh economic times, we still make sales,” he discloses adding that business is good and he has never thought of relocating his business to another town.
“There are many eateries in this area but that does not stop us from making a killing and supporting our families since the flow of motorists never runs dry,” he states.
On a good day, Nyakundi reveals he sells 70 Kgs of pork meat. Even though this is a meagre figure as before Covid – 19 he used to sell 100 Kgs daily.
Another restaurant owner Martin Njuguna applauded the government for this initiative since his business is also thriving.
“The expansion of Kenol-Sagana highway to a dual carriage has greatly improved my business and I even have plans to expand the business so as to create space for more customers as my current area gets congested often times,” he observed.
Another trader Ms Ann Wanjiru Gitau, a Fruit and Grocery dealer reveals that she has been in the business for about 15 years and has been able to sustain her family and grow her other businesses.
“I am able to make profits of Sh. 1000 and above in a day. I have been able to take my children to school and provide for my family without struggle. Business is good,” Wanjiru says.
“Save for the high cost of commodities and taxation, business on this highway is good” she adds.
The ongoing 84km road stretch from Kenol township to Marua in Nyeri has positively impacted the regions it cuts through which are Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Machakos, and Embu counties is set to open up the northern corridor creating employment opportunities in the agriculture, tourism, and business enterprises.
By Florence Kinyua and Victor Gachoki
