Trade and Tourism in Eastern Kenya are set to get a major boost once the 202 km Kibwezi- Migwani road is complete.
The road will be completed in May this year.
According to KeNHA, traders will be able to move their goods cheaply and fast.
Perishables won’t go bad as has been in the past.
Local tourism is also expected to get a major boost since the road links North Eastern, Eastern and the Kenyan Coast.
Hotels, restaurants and petrol stations are expected to spring up along the new Highway.
Locals have been called upon to take advantage of the road and start business ventures.
The initially land-locked Eastern Provice has now been connected to the re of the Country.
The road is being constructed by China’s Sinohydro Corporation at a total cost of shs 21 billion.
It traverses Makueni and Kitui Counties, starting from Kibwezi Town and continues to Ikutha and Mutomo to Kitui.
It proceeds to Kabati and onwards through Tulia to Migwani.
It is approximately 202 km.
A total of 18 km of Township roads have already been constructed and business is booming in these areas.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) said the road is part of the Northern Corridor Transport Improvement Project.
“It will cater for through traffic from Mombasa via Kibwezi to Moyale and into Ethiopia on a friendly direct alignment and avoids the need to pass through Nairobi. The sections from Isiolo to Marsabit and Moyale were recently completed and that between Kibwezi and Isiolo is the missing link of which the project road forms the first section,” said Engineer Kung’u Ndung’u the KeNHA Director General.
He said the existing road will be upgraded to an International Trunk Road standard with a 7m wide single carriageway and 2m wide shoulders on each side and shall include construction of 16 bridges.
Residents of the larger Eastern region had in the past complained of lack of proper bridges.
Human and animal lives were lost at some of these bridges whenever there were floods.
Several towns in Kitui and Kibwezi have witnessed improved growth as a result of the road.
Construction of the sections from Isiolo to Marsabit and Moyale were recently completed.
The road between Kibwezi and Isiolo is now the missing link to bitumen standard and the project road forms the first section of this link.
After the completion of the 74-kilometer section between Kitui- Mutomo -Kibwezi road, residents took to social Media in November 2021 to celebrate.
“The 74 kilometers stretch from Kitui town to Mutomo town was always a sad story when we had to travel out of Mutomo or have to get back to Mutomo from Kitui. The dust, the holes… and when it rained there was a problematic bridge and sometimes vehicles would have to camp there till the next day when the water levels are manageable,” posted Sarah Kinyanjui a native of the area on her facebook.
She said the other side from Mutomo town to Ikutha on your way to Kibwezi was also full of issues.
“I have not joined the #UhuruDelivers bandwagon but I was just grateful that after 20 years, God has finally answered the prayers of former little me then and many other- we had to endure bad roads in this very familiar territory to some of us,” she said.
