Sh160b road project set to start, says CS Macharia

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia. [Kipsang Joseph, Standeard]

The Government has announced that the construction of a Sh160 billion dual carriageway between Nairobi and Mau Summit will begin in December.

Speaking in Nakuru yesterday, Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the tender for construction of the 187km road set to consist of four-lanes on both sides had been awarded to a French firm.

Macharia spoke in Nakuru Town East Constituency during celebrations to mark World Habitat Day.

The planned commencement of the Nairobi-Mau Summit dual carriageway comes months after four foreign firms contested a decision by the Kenya National Highways Authority to award the tender to the Rift Valley Connect consortium, a petition that was thrown out.

At the same time, the CS said the national government would also expedite renovation of Moi-South Lake Road, whose disrepair had sparked protests by residents of Naivasha.

The protestors have blocked the dilapidated road for the last two weeks, accusing the Government of neglecting it yet it is key to accessing tourism sites around Lake Naivasha, flower farms and other key installations like geothermal power stations. The CS said work on the road would begin on Thursday.

Speaking during the celebrations, Macharia said infrastructure was key in the region, as Nakuru town geared towards attaining a city status.

He commended an innovation in Nakuru that turns human waste into briquettes, noting that it would save forests from being destroyed for firewood.