Martin Wambora unveils major road project

Embu Governor Martin Wambora has launched the construction of the 12.8km Embu-Kibugu road.

And in what will be the biggest road infrastructural development in the county since independence, Mr Wambora announced that a further 87km of the county’s 100km ring road will soon be tarmacked courtesy of funding from a Malaysian road construction company.

The construction of the Embu-Kibugu stretch will be funded by the county government to the tune of Sh387 million.

The governor said the ring road will be tarmacked using probase technology which is cost-effective as it employs soil stabilising technology.

He said the Embu-Kibugu road, which passes through Njukiri showground and rich agricultural lands, will be tarmacked in five months and soon after they will embark on the remaining part of the road.

Open up interior

The ring road will pass through three tea factories and several coffee factories and is expected to open up the interior of the county to trade and development.

Wambora said the roads will last for a minimum 15 years and the contractors will maintain them for 10 years.

“The road will be 5.4 metres wide. We have started with the Kibugu road since the area is productive agriculturally and this will ease access of the produce to the markets,” Wambora said.

He said youths living in the areas where the tarmac will be laid will be engaged by the contractor.

The launch of the road brings to an end speculation and concerns by some leaders and residents on whether the county government has the ability to implement a project of such magnitude.

MPs Lenny Kivuti, Cecily Mbarire and John Muchiri have severally indicated that the President would come to launch the road and that the State would fund it.

Wambora told MPs to confine themselves to legislative matters and leave implementation of roads programmes to the county government.