The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Director General, Mr. Kung’u Ndung’u, has said that the government has committed to constructing a Sh340 million Road Accidents Response Centre at Sagana.
Ndung’u said the trauma centre, which is long overdue, will help offer quick response in case of accidents and will be equipped with modern amenities to serve the five counties where the Kenol-Sagana-Marua dual carriageway converges.
The dual carriageway that passes through Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Machakos, Embu, and Nyeri counties starts at the Kenol junction, going through Makutano, Sagana, and Karatina towns before ending at the Marua junction and forming part of the 800-kilometre stretch between Nairobi and Moyale.
The Sh16 billion project, which started in 2019 and was funded by the African Development Bank, is part of the Great North Road that starts from Cape Town, enters Kenya through Namanga, and goes into Ethiopia through Moyale.
Speaking recently during an interview with a local television station, Deputy President Mr. Rigathi Gachagua said that the construction works on the 84-kilometre-long dual carriageway are set to continue after stalling for months.
He disclosed that the government has reached an agreement with the Chinese contractor working on the road and that funds are available. He clarified that the contractor had been awarded several other construction contracts that the government has yet to pay; however, the money for the dual carriageway is available, so it is going to be completed.
“When we paid him for the dual carriageway, he stopped working and insisted that we also pay him for the other projects, but we have talked to him and decided that he will complete it as he has been paid for it,” Gachagua said.
The Deputy President further noted that the government is working towards clearing the Sh2.9 billion in compensation owed to land owners along the dual carriageway, adding that the government had factored in Sh1.5 billion for the compensations in this financial year’s budget, and those owed amounts below Sh1 million will receive their money in the next two months.
“Those whose property is worth over Sh1 million will be paid next year,” Gachagua said.
“The people from Kangocho, Jambo, Thaithi, and Marwa will be paid soon, but those around Karatina town will have to wait because their compensation amounts are higher,” he explained.
. The road is scheduled to be completed in October this year. Before its expansion, the road was characterised by heavy traffic from motorists travelling to and from Nairobi and Isiolo.
The road is expected to have a major impact on the regional economy by supporting the socio-economic growth of the area, as it is also expected to foster Kenya’s trade with Ethiopia and help resolve the neighbouring country’s import challenges.
On their part, entrepreneurs along the road have said they are waiting for the completion of the project with bated breath, saying they have already started enjoying the benefits of its expansion.
A trader at Kenol Town, Ms. Carol Wangari, said many motorists now stop over at the town to eat fast food and buy drinks as they travel to and from Nairobi, something that has strengthened the economy of the town and provided job opportunities to locals as more eateries and clubs continue to be established in the town.
She also observed that before the business boom in the town, merrymaking Murang’a residents would travel to Thika town in Kiambu County or Sagana town in Kirinyaga, but now the buzzing economy has attracted bars and restaurants that are attracting people from other counties.
A businessman in Kenol Town, Mr. Peter Kamau, said that the higher number of motorists expected to use the road once it is completed will bring more business opportunities for residents and that it has caused property values along the dual carriageway to skyrocket.
By Purity Mugo and Anita Omwenga
