President William Ruto on Thursday took his development push to rural Kericho, launching a Sh2.59 billion road project expected to improve market access for farmers in Kipkelion West.
Ruto launched the construction of the 42-kilometre Tegat–Kaplelit–Kokwet–Toroton–Yala–Chepkechei–Kichuchun–Miti Mbili–Barsiele–Kimologit–Morao–Tingatela–Kipsegi road during his development tour of Bomet and Kericho counties.
The road will be upgraded to bitumen standard and is expected to ease movement between farming areas and trading centres once completed.
The government said the project will support tea, dairy and food-crop farmers by improving access to markets, reducing transport costs and creating opportunities for businesses along the route.
Ruto has been using his four-day tour of Bomet and Kericho to highlight his administration’s infrastructure and development agenda, particularly in rural areas.
The President has said development must reach all parts of the country, with roads and other infrastructure helping open up areas with economic potential.
The government also sought to assure contractors that ongoing road projects would receive the resources needed for completion.
According to the government, there were no pending bills owed to contractors as of July 2026, while the Ministry of Roads had recently paid Sh30 billion to accelerate ongoing projects.
“We are equally focused on ensuring contractors have the resources to deliver,” the government said.
The Kericho project is part of a wider road investment programme in the county. During the tour, Ruto also launched the 53-kilometre Sabunit–Kapkondor/Furaha–Hill Tea Access Road, a Sh3.1 billion project targeting key tea-growing areas.
The new Kipkelion West road is expected to strengthen links between farmers and markets while lowering the cost of transporting agricultural produce.
For residents along the route, the project is also expected to improve access to trading centres and create new opportunities as construction gets underway.
Ruto’s government is presenting the investment as part of a broader push to use infrastructure to unlock rural economies and spread development beyond major urban centres.
