Infrastructure
Work on Sh30bn Mau Mau road finally gets underway
The 540-km road seeks to honour Mau Mau freedom fighters.
The much-awaited construction of a 540km road that seeks to honour the role of Mau Mau freedom fighters in the liberation of Kenya from colonialists has finally begun, offering three central Kenya counties a new artery into Nairobi.
Christened Mau Mau road, the new motorway will start at Gataka in Limuru, and then traverse through Kamahindu and Kibichoi in Kiambu County before negotiating its way through Kinyona in Kigumo and Ichichi in Kangema, Murang’a County.
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The road, which is under the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), will then pass through tens of market centres in Murang’a and Nyeri before ending at Njengu in Nyeri County where it will join the Nyeri-Nyahururu road.
“The Sh30 billion project is on course with five contractors on site, as the government promised to deliver Mau Mau Road in the shortest time possible,” KeNHA chairman Wangai Ndirangu said during a tour of the project on Saturday.
The Mau Mau road will be built in four phases – with a two-year construction timeline. It was earlier indicated that two contractors would handle the stretch in Kiambu, while the other two would each handle the Murang’a and Nyeri segments respectively.
On completion, the road is expected to boost the economy of the Mount Kenya region which produces two of Kenya’s main cash crops: tea and coffee.
The road seeks to honour Mau Mau fighters who used the route as they went in and out of the forest to fight colonialists, according to Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia.
“The Mau Mau road traces the routes that were used for transport and logistics by the Mau Mau freedom fighters,” Mr Macharia said during a tour of the project on December 20.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta has pledged that before his term ends, Mau Mau road will be done in honour of the freedom fighters who made huge sacrifices for the liberation of this country,” he added.
To further connect central Kenya with neighbouring regions, the government is also planning to build a road that will connect Murang’a County to the Rift Valley.
The proposed road will stretch from Gatura in Gatanga and Kinyona in Kigumo to Kiambirui and Njabini in Nyandarua County before ending in Naivasha to connect Central Kenya with Rift Valley to ease transportation of goods and services. Read more here.
Plans are also underway for the construction of a dual carriageway linking the Northern Corridor from Nairobi through Thika to Makutano in Kirinyaga and Marua in Nyeri.
The proposed highway that is set to begin in Kenol, Murang’a, will eventually extend to Nanyuki and Isiolo. Read more here.
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