County eyes ambitious Sh1.4bn roads project

The County government will spend Sh1.4 billion over the next two years to expand a key road in Bungoma Town.

Roads and Infrastructure Executive Collins Mukhongo said the government planned to expand Musikoma-Kanduyi road to a dual carriage way.

The county will also improve Masinde Muliro Stadium in Kanduyi at a cost of Sh700 million.

Mr Mukhongo said the government was keen on improving the road that he termed the face of the county.

He said motorists had been complaining of congestion and sometimes, accidents.

"This road is the face of the county. It is the first thing people see when they come to Bungoma. Those using this road feel let down. We want to change that by improving the road," said Mukhongo.

Mukhongo said the county decided to go ahead with the project after the national government said it had no plans to improve the road in the near future.

He said they approached Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) and Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), none which had a budget for upgrading the road.

“Kura and KeNHA told us they would only be doing periodic maintenance, and nothing more. That is when we decided to swing into action,” he said.

Mukhongo said many investors had avoided some areas because of the poor state of the road.

He said the project would also include improving the drainage system along the road and parts of the town.

He said there had been blockage whenever it rained as small-scale traders who had encroached parts of the road dumped waste in trenches.

Mukhongo said they would increase the sitting capacity at the stadium's main stand to 9,000 in the first phase of the project. In the second phase, more pitches and a gymnasium, he said, would be made.