Mega road project gives Nyeri's real estate new lease of life

President William Ruto inspects the Mau Mau Road Lot 1A and Lot 1B at Lari, Kiambu County. [PCS]

Improved road infrastructure in Nyeri County is reshaping land ownership patterns, driving up land prices and accelerating the subdivision and succession of ancestral land. This comes as newly accessible interior areas attract buyers, investors, and farmers.

What was once remote, undervalued countryside is fast turning into a competitive real estate frontier, with infrastructure emerging as the single most powerful trigger of change.

At the centre of this transformation is the Mau Mau Road project, a flagship initiative by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA). Launched between 2019 and 2020 at an estimated cost of Sh30 billion, the project aims to construct and upgrade 540 kilometres (kms) of roads traversing Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, and Nyandarua counties.

The network was designed not only to improve regional connectivity but also to unlock the economic potential of interior rural zones that for decades remained physically and economically isolated.

In Nyeri County, Lot 3 of the project covers some of the most impactful sections. These include the Kairo-Muirungi–Gituiga–Huhoini-Ihithe corridor, extending to Njengu on the B21 road.

The lot comprises roughly 34 kms of main road and about 67 km s of spurs and feeder roads, linking villages in Tetu, Othaya, and parts of Kieni to the main corridor. These feeder roads have proved just as transformative as the main artery, effectively pulling previously inaccessible land into the formal land market. Progress on the Mau Mau Road has been implemented in phases. By 2023, several sections had been completed or substantially upgraded, while others advanced steadily through 2024 and 2025.

The project has, however, faced challenges, particularly environmental concerns around the Aberdare Forest ecosystem, where some segments were temporarily suspended or slowed to allow for environmental assessments and mitigation.

Despite these setbacks, construction momentum has largely been maintained. During a development tour of Nyeri County in January 2026, President William Ruto reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the project, noting that funds had been set aside to ensure its completion.

He said the Mau Mau Road network spans close to 600 kilometres and remains a priority infrastructure investment in the Mt Kenya region. The President disclosed that Sh2 billion had been allocated specifically for the completion of Lot 3, which links Othaya, Kieni, and Tetu constituencies.

He added that all pending bills owed to Mau Mau Road contractors for the 2021-23 period had been settled, removing a major bottleneck that had previously slowed works. According to the President, the clearing of these arrears has paved the way for uninterrupted construction and adherence to the project’s planned timelines.

Beyond its economic role, the road carries symbolic significance. Named in honour of Mau Mau freedom fighters, it shortens travel routes, improves safety, and strengthens inter-county connectivity across the Mt Kenya region, linking agricultural zones directly to markets and service centres.

According to Famyard Enterprise Ltd director George Ndumia Wamario, the infrastructure upgrades have fundamentally altered Nyeri’s land market dynamics. Areas that have suffered from poor access, low land values, and limited economic activity for decades are now firmly on the radar of buyers and investors. “Before the improvements, vast interior sections relied on impassable murram roads during rainy seasons, discouraging buyers and investors despite fertile soils and a favourable climate.

In some rural wards, land remained idle, passed down informally across generations without clear succession processes or title deeds,” he said.

That reality has shifted rapidly. Wamario notes that land demand has surged as soon as road works moved closer to interior villages. Improved access has reduced travel times to Nyeri town, Karatina, Othaya, and other trading centres, changing how both locals and outsiders perceive the value of land.

Today, real estate listings and market reports indicate that agricultural and residential plots in Nyeri range from Sh1 million to over Sh15 million, depending on size, proximity to tarmac roads, and access to utilities.

Prime parcels along newly tarmacked sections or within a short distance of feeder roads command premium prices, particularly in high-potential agricultural zones. Along connected corridors in Central Kenya, land prices have in many cases doubled or more since construction began.

In parts of Nyeri, parcels that sold for around Sh600,000 to Sh800,000 per acre before 2019 are now fetching Sh1.5 million to Sh2.5 million, with some pockets recording annual price growth in the range of 10 to 18 per cent.

These trends mirror infrastructure-led land appreciation observed along other major road projects in the country.

According to Wamario, the Mau Mau Road has not only lifted prices in Nyeri but also created a ripple effect across the counties it connects.

“Since the construction commenced, there has been a sharp rise in land prices in Nyeri as well as in other counties that the road connects; improved tarmac roads linking to the Mau Mau Road have opened up the interior, and this has completely changed how land is valued,” he said. With better roads reducing transport costs and travel time, once-remote land has become commercially viable. This shift has triggered a wave of formal land subdivisions and succession processes. Families that previously saw little urgency in processing title deeds are now keen to secure legal ownership as land values rise and buyer interest intensifies.

“We are seeing more people processing succession and acquiring title deeds because the land now has value and demand; once roads reach these areas, families realise they need proper ownership documents, either to develop the land or to sell part of it,” he said. As prices appreciate, families are keen to avoid disputes and unlock land value. Large ancestral parcels are increasingly being subdivided into smaller plots, increasing transaction volumes across the county.

This trend has been particularly pronounced in areas newly linked by feeder roads, where land was historically held communally or informally.

Demand is also being driven by buyers seeking fertile agricultural land. Nyeri’s high-potential zones—long associated with tea, coffee, dairy farming, and food crops—are attracting investors interested in commercial-scale farming. Improved access has made it easier to transport produce to markets and processing centres, improving profitability.

“Those in need of fertile land for farming are rushing to buy large chunks of land,” Wamario said. “This demand for agricultural land has significantly contributed to rising prices, especially in areas now accessible by tarmac roads,” Wamario said. He added that infrastructure tends to attract complementary development. “Once these tributary roads are opened, everything else follows — schools, water projects, health centres, electricity and easier access to markets,” he said. “Farmers are no longer isolated. Areas such as Gitero, Kagundu-ini, and parts of Tetu that are well-suited for agriculture are now in high demand.

Buyers are increasingly seeking locations where they can farm productively while still accessing services without strain, a shift that has strengthened Nyeri’s appeal to both lifestyle farmers and agribusiness investors,” he said.

Real estate agents report steady value increases along the Mau Mau Road corridor and its feeders over recent years, with some areas recording consistent double-digit growth. Improved infrastructure has also encouraged electricity connections, water projects, and the emergence of trading centres, further enhancing land attractiveness and supporting mixed-use development.

County planning frameworks are reinforcing this momentum. Under the Nyeri County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2023–2027, the county government has prioritised infrastructure expansion, agricultural productivity, affordable housing, water and sanitation, and environmental sustainability. The plan outlines targeted investments in roads, markets, and social amenities, particularly in growth nodes outside Nyeri town.By aligning county-level planning with national development strategies, the CIDP provides predictability for investors and developers, signalling where future infrastructure and services are likely to be expanded.

Real estate players say such long-term planning has a direct bearing on land values, housing demand, and the viability of developments in emerging peri-urban and rural growth zones.