Construction of Sh4.9bn Nyanza Sugar Belt Road to commence

County Labour-Based Road Maintenance Contract Policy signed into law

Construction works on the 63-kilometre sugar belt road traversing Kisumu, Nandi and Kericho counties is set to commence soon. The Director-General of Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Peter Mundia confirmed the report and said that the project’s financing was approved by the treasury, paving way for works to begin.

“The state’s treasury approved over Sh11bn for the construction of four roads among them the approximately Sh4.9bn Kisumu-Chemelil-Muhoroni road.  We expect to break ground in late October,” said Mr Mundia.

Construction works are expected to begin at the intersection with Kisumu – Kakamega (A1) road in Kisumu at Mamboleo and progress through Miwani, Chemelil, Muhoroni eventually terminating at Kapsitet junction, where it joins the Kericho -Kisumu road.

Scope of work

The road project entails resurfacing of the road to class II bitumen standard. Other improvements include the widening of the road to 11 meters, along with the construction of shoulders, culverts, drainage channels, passing lanes, bus stops, and access roads in urban centers. In some sections for example from the Mamboleo/A1 intersection to Great Lakes University, the road will be widened to a dual carriageway. A seven-metre single carriageway near the Great Lakes University section will also be constructed with two-metre wide shoulders along the entire stretch.

The project is estimated to take one year to be completed upon which, it is expected to open up the region it reverses which has been largely closed out for decades after motorists abandoned the motorway, opting for the smoother Kericho-Kisumu road going through Awasi and Ahero. This will ultimately improve trade in the western region and beyond the border to other East African nations.

The 63-kilometre road is also expected to significantly reduce travel time between Kisumu, Nandi, and Kericho counties, thus ensuring faster accessibility and delivery of services. The link with the highway from Kisumu brings an additional relief after the section between Muhoroni and the Kaitui junction repeatedly deteriorated despite several contracts being awarded to repair the road.

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