RESIDENTS TO BENEFIT AS PRESIDENT RUTO UNVEILS MAJOR ROAD EXPANSION PLAN

BY PATIENCE SAMBA

                                Photo Courtesy

Residents across Kenya are expected to benefit in a big way from a new national road project announced by President William Ruto. Many communities that have struggled with poor roads for years are looking forward to easier travel, safer transport, and better access to schools, hospitals, and markets.

Speaking during the State of the Nation Address in Parliament, President Ruto said the government will dual 2,500 kilometres of highways and tarmac 28,000 kilometres of roads over the next 10 years. He said these major upgrades will help reduce transport costs, improve the movement of goods, and support economic growth throughout the country.

Under the plan, thousands of kilometres of new and improved roads will be built in rural, urban, and remote areas. This will include expanding key highways, opening new feeder roads to connect villages to towns, and upgrading major transport corridors used by farmers, traders, and transport companies. The goal is to ensure that every region benefits from better road access and that no community is left behind.

The President explained that strong road networks are key to developing a nation. He gave the example of Japan, which expanded from only 2,000 roads after World War II to more than one million kilometres of paved roads in seven decades. He said Kenya, by comparison, has built 22,000 kilometres over a similar period, showing the need for faster progress.

To start the programme, President Ruto will next week launch the long awaited dualing of the 170km Rironi–Naivasha–Nakuru–Mau Summit road. This busy corridor connects Nairobi to the Rift Valley and often experiences heavy traffic. The project is expected to ease congestion, boost trade, and make travel more efficient for thousands of residents and businesses.

The roads to be dualed also include Muthaiga–Kiambu–Ndumberi, Machakos Junction–Mariakani, Mau Summit–Kericho–Kisumu, Kisumu–Busia, Mau Summit–Eldoret–Malaba, Athi River–Namanga, Karatina–Nanyuki–Isiolo, and Makutano–Embu–Meru–Maua.

Other major roads lined up for expansion are Mtwapa–Malindi, Mombasa–Lunga Lunga, Kericho–Kisii–Migori–Isebania, Nakuru–Nyahururu–Karatina, Kisii–Oyugis–Ahero, the Northern Bypass, James Gichuru Road, Bomas–Karen–Ngong, Bomas–Ongata Rongai–Kiserian, Ngong–Isinya, and Naivasha–Kikuyu.

In addition to road upgrades, President Ruto announced plans to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Kisumu and later to Malaba. He said construction works are expected to begin in January 2026, forming part of a broader effort to strengthen transport and logistics infrastructure nationwide.

Ruto emphasised that the road expansion will stimulate trade, create jobs, and make it easier for farmers and businesses to access markets. Improved transport links, he said, will directly benefit communities and drive regional economic growth.

The President also revealed that the government will use public private partnerships to modernise Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, as well as the ports of Mombasa and Lamu. He further committed to resolving the operational challenges facing Kenya Airways by 2026, ensuring efficiency and reliability in the aviation sector.

However,with the planned road, rail, and port upgrades, Kenyans are hopeful that the country’s transport network will significantly improve boosting economic activity and connecting regions like never before.

 Beyond this major highway, construction will roll out to other regions, with roads being tarmacked in counties that have long lacked reliable infrastructure. New roads will help farmers reach markets faster, support tourism in remote areas, and attract new businesses to previously inaccessible locations.

Communities across the country are hopeful that the wider road expansion will create jobs, attract investment, and open up new opportunities for development. Many believe that if the government delivers on the plan, it could transform transport in Kenya for generations to come.