Construction of a road connecting three counties in Mt Kenya region is set to be completed in two years time. Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia confirmed the report during an inspection of the road at Kiamara area in Murang’a County and said the contractor is on ground and earthworks have started in Kiambu, Murang’a and Nyeri.
Mau Mau road
The road dubbed the ‘Mau Mau road’ will follow routes which were used by freedom fighters as they accessed their hideouts at Aberdare forests. It was commissioned last year with the aim of opening up the region’s economy. The Sh 30bn road project will cover a distance of 500 km and will run on the outskirts of the Aberdare forest. It will be 20 metres wide and will connect Nyeri, Murang’a and Nyandarua counties.
The project will be delivered in three sections and will be done in two years. It will start at Mairi-Kinyona-Ichichi- Wanjerere- Kiamuturi and end at Kairo at the border of Murang’a and Nyeri. In Nyeri County the road will run across Othaya, Tetu and Kieni sub counties.
Included in the design is the 33.8km section linking Kiamara-Kangema-Kanyenya-ini and Tuthu, following a plea by Kangema MP Muturi Kigano. Upon completion the road slated to shorten the distance between the counties and open up agriculturally rich areas at the periphery of the forests. It will also ease transportation of green leaf to local factories as the route will cut across the tea belt.
CS Macharia said the road will benefit not only Mount Kenya region but also neighbouring regions including Rift Valley and Eastern region adding that the Murang’a County section alone will cost Sh. 6.4bn.
