Major towns in Kiambu county are undergoing a facelift.
Through the Kenya Urban Support Programme project initiated by the World Bank and overseen by municipal councils in the metropolitan counties, the towns have seen a major uplift of infrastructure such as roads, markets, bus parks, modern fire stations, street lighting and water and sewerage systems.
The programme initiated by the World Bank has seen Kenya benefit with $300 million worth of projects to enhance infrastructure, connectivity and accessibility, safety and security for six years. The project started in 2017 and will end in 2023.
Governor James Nyoro on Tuesday commissioned the upgrading of Red Nova, Indian Bazaar to Kiambu town near posta offices road into bitumen standards.
“The expansion and rehabilitation of Red Nova-Indian Bazaar to Posta Bypass Road will offer an alternative route to the Bus park, county headquarter offices and Ndumberi from Kiambu Road, further easing traffic in Kiambu Town,” Nyoro said.
“At the moment, eight kilometres will be completed by the end of this year. The national government has given money to construct another 30 kilometres to pass through Komo-Gitima upto Gatuanyaga. If one has to go to Garissa, there is no need to pass through Thika as it will be easier to branch through Juja,”Nyoro said.
The governor said there is Sh2 billion to recarpet all county roads and street lighting will be done in all town centres.
He said Kiambu and Makongeni bus parks were illegally acquired and the county government has agreed to compensate the land belonging to Posta so that modern bus park can be constructed in both areas.
“Matatu operators in Kiambu town and Makongeni in Thika have suffered due to poor state of bus park as the bus parks were illegally acquired as the land belong to Posta. We have sat down with Posta so that they can withdraw the matter in court and we as a government will compensate for the land so that modern bus parks can be constructed,” Nyoro said.
Nyoro said that in Ngoliba a 1.2-kilometer road has been constructed as the ward has never seen a tarmac road since independence.
Kiambu MCA Anthony Ikonya said that infrastructure within Kiambu is being improved and more developments will be realised.
Lands and Roads executive Samuel Mugo, said that the projects have adhered to requirement of making sure that 70 per cent of the locals have been given jobs as per the law.
Nyoro,however, said no contractor will be paid if the public disapprove of the work done on the ground.