Ruto orders repair of Murang’a Kiria-ini road at Sh100m

President William Ruto on Friday ordered the Ministry of Roads to repair parts of Murang’a Kiria-ini road that has remained impassable for months due to damage caused by rains.

The President visited Mathioya constituency to commission the road that connects Murang’a and Nyeri counties.

The road was closed to public use in April this year by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) following heavy rains that damaged some sections.

KENHA issued a notice saying its embankment had collapsed at five points and directed motorists to use alternative routes, which residents have complained are too long and time consuming.

Ruto said the road will be repaired at a cost of Sh100 million.

“I have directed the Ministry of Roads to ensure the road is opened to Murang’a town,” the President said.

The road has been under construction since 2019 when the government started recarpeting works but the repairs stalled in 2021 due to delays in disbursement of funds to contractors.

Last year, however, the government allocated Sh594 million to have the construction completed, giving the residents some reprieve.

Further, the President said the stalled Sh30 billion Mau Mau roads project that connect Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyandarua and Nyeri counties has been allocated Sh1.1 billion for construction to resume.

The project that has different contractors in each county stalled in 2022 due to lack of funds and parts of the roads that had been graded were degraded by bad weather.

Residents have in the last few years been appealing to the government to complete the project or release funds to have the dilapidated parts rehabilitated to make the roads passable.

The road project started in 2019 with the aim of commemorating Mau Mau fighters by upgrading the roads they used in and out of the Aberdare Forest as they fought colonialists.

“I will personally ensure that next month, the contractors get back on site because the money has already been allocated,” Ruto said.

Once completed, the roads are expected to drastically transform the economies of the respective areas, which have for long had poor road connectivity despite having serene sceneries.

The President is also expected to commission Ndunyu Chege market and Gatanga Water Supply project in Gatanga constituency before concluding his visit in Murang'a.