President William Ruto has identified the dualling of Kiambu Road and the proposed Nairobi-Thika Expressway as key infrastructure projects the government plans to prioritise in Kiambu County.
Ruto announced the plans after meeting a delegation of leaders from the county at State House, Nairobi, on Friday, November 13. The team was led by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and included other lawmakers from Kiambu.
The President said the projects were intended to improve transport and connectivity within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area.
“We are giving priority to key infrastructure projects in Kiambu County, including the dualling of Kiambu Road and the construction of the Nairobi-Thika Expressway, to ease transport and improve connectivity within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area,” Ruto said.
One of the projects involves expanding the Muthaiga-Kiambu-Ndumberi road into a dual carriageway at an estimated cost of Ksh38.7 billion.
The 23.5-kilometre road is expected to be upgraded from a single carriageway to a four-lane dual carriageway, with additional facilities to improve traffic movement and provide for pedestrians.
The National Land Commission has already issued a notice seeking to acquire 11 parcels of land in Nairobi and Kiambu counties to pave the way for the expansion. The acquisition is being undertaken on behalf of the Kenya Urban Roads Authority.
Nairobi-Thika Expressway
The second infrastructure project is the proposed 60-km elevated expressway that will connect Thika town to Museum Hill in Nairobi.
The expressway is said to run above the Thika Superhighway and give motorists another option in terms of routes when travelling from Nairobi to Thika and vice versa.
The expressway is also meant to link the Nairobi Expressway at the Museum Hill.
In October, DP Kithure Kindiki revealed that the government was conducting final designs and feasibility studies in order to understand the engineering needs, traffic capacity, costs and environmental impacts of the expressway.
Initial estimates have put the cost of the project between Ksh150 billion and Ksh200 billion. According to the government, it is also considering adopting a Public-Private Partnership model to help fund the project.
While addressing the meeting at State House, Ruto said that the government was also considering other development projects aimed at boosting economic development and improving service delivery in Kiambu County.
The president assured Kenyans that development efforts of the government will cover all regions of the country.
