KeNHA has announced plans to construct three major highways that will link six counties in the Rift Valley. It is expected to greatly enhance transport, boost trade, and open up for the first time long-inaccessible rural areas.
KeNHA said in a statement issued on Tuesday, January 20, that the projects will connect Nandi, Bomet, Kericho, Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu and Narok counties, strengthening links between the South Rift and North Rift regions.
These include flagship 150-kilometre Kenegut Border–Mbogo Valley–Kamelilo–Maraba–Kabirer–Sirwa–Lessos–Chuyiet–Kipkabus–Nyaru highway. It cuts through Kericho, Nandi, Uasin Gishu, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties and is expected to offer a missing link between the northern and southern parts of the Rift Valley.
KeNHA added that the road would make traveling between counties easier, access to other basic amenities easier, and open up economies in the rural areas that were ravaged by poor road networks for decades.
It also plans to begin constructing the 143-kilometre Embomoss–Koiwa–Chebole–Siongiroi–Labotiet–Gorgor–Ambosi–Dikirr–Kilgoris–Enoosaen–Ang’ang’a Mariwa road. It will link Bomet and Narok counties and open up that direction from the South Rift towards Kericho and Nakuru, serving traders, farmers, and travellers in the region.
A third project is the upgrading of the Kericho–Ainamoi–Poiywek–Chepkoiyo–Koisegem–Fort Ternan–Gilimori–Kenegut Border road corridor. The stretch is approximately a little over 110 kilometres. Once completed, the road is expected to greatly improve transport between Kericho and Nandi counties, thereby connecting key economic centers such as Ainamoi and Kipkelion West.
KeNHA said the projects would be financed through loans from the World Bank and the African Development Bank AfDB. Already, the Authority had invited interested and qualified Consulting Firms to express their interest in undertaking feasibility studies and preliminary engineering designs, marking the first major step toward implementation.
Regional leaders hailed the announcement. Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei praised the government for shelving infrastructure development in its agenda, indicating that the projects would have a lasting impact on local economies.
“Thank you, President William Ruto, for the support in terms of development. Nandi County is among the beneficiaries of the Kericho–Nandi–Uasin Gishu trans-county tarmac road,” Cherargei said.
He also received applause from Tinderet MP Julius Melly, who noted that the interlinked roads would also serve as a strategic bridge between South and North Rift. “These roads will open rural areas, enhance access to markets and services, and support digital connectivity.
This is a major planning milestone and a clear indication that this transformative infrastructure vision is now becoming reality,” Melly said.
Once completed, the three highways are expected to ease movement and transport costs, hence stimulating economic growth throughout the Rift Valley, giving residents new opportunities and also access to services.
