NAIROBI, Kenya — President William Ruto has stirred public debate after announcing that his administration plans to dual the Thika Superhighway — a road already dualled and expanded more than a decade ago under the late President Mwai Kibaki.
Speaking on Tuesday during the release of the Jukwaa la Usalama report, the President outlined an ambitious infrastructure plan to dual 2,500 kilometres of roads nationwide as part of his broader vision of transitioning Kenya into a first-world economy.
“Barabara tumeanzisha kutoka Rironi, the first 170km, tunatengeneza lane nne. Ikifika Naivasha tunapanua inakuwa lane sita mpaka Nakuru ndo tuwache msongamano,” he said, adding: “Hii barabara ya kuenda Ongata Rongai na Ngong tunafanya dual carriageway. Barabara ya kutoka Thika mpaka hapa Nairobi, next year tunafanya dual carriageway.”
The remarks immediately sparked confusion, with many Kenyans questioning why the government would prioritise “dualling” a road that was already expanded into a multi-lane, dual carriageway system at a cost of Sh31 billion and officially commissioned in November 2012.
Online reactions poured in, with some citizens suggesting the President may have misspoken. “Unless I don’t know what dualling is, Thika Road is already dualled!” one user wrote on X. Another commented: “It’s like the meaning of ‘dual’ in this new Singapore is different,” referencing the President’s recurring comparison of Kenya’s development trajectory to Singapore’s.
Others criticised what they viewed as a pattern of ambitious pledges. “It’s so ironic to see this dude unapologetically make more promises despite not fulfilling most of the promises he made during the campaign period,” wrote another Kenyan.
Despite the controversy, President Ruto used the event to laud Parliament for passing the establishment of the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) and the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), both of which he said would underpin the financing of major national projects from next year.
The NIF aims to leverage capital markets and Public–Private Partnership mechanisms to diversify ownership and bring private capital into public infrastructure. The SWF, meanwhile, will pool royalties from minerals, proceeds of privatisation, and other state assets into long-term investments.
“Hivyo ndivyo nchi zingine zote zilifanya,” Ruto said. “Tutaweka pesa ya budget, tutaweka proceeds ya privatisation, tutaweka pesa ya royalties kutoka minerals. Tutaweka pesa ya private sector ambayo tutazungumza na wao and we’re going to take this country forward.”
He dismissed claims that the timing of these announcements was politically motivated. “Najua kuna watu wanafikiria mimi naongea mambo ya uchaguzi,” he said. “Naongea mambo ya transformation. Uchaguzi utakuja na siku moja na itapita, transformation is what will take this country to the next level.”
As questions continue over the Thika Road reference, infrastructure analysts say clearer communication from the government will be crucial to reassure the public about priority projects and realistic timelines.
