NAIROBI, Kenya – Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has accused President William Ruto’s administration of sidelining Western Kenya in major infrastructure projects, raising concern over what he termed as shifting goalposts in the rollout of critical road upgrades.
Speaking during a Senate session on Wednesday, Khalwale questioned the government’s commitment to extending the dualing of the Northern Corridor highway to Malaba, as earlier promised.
He claimed the latest revisions risk isolating Western Kenya from one of the country’s most important transport investments.
“When the Cabinet first announced this project, the government promised it would run from Rironi to Malaba. Now you’re saying it will stop at Mau Summit so that you can divert funds to Mai Mahiu and possibly Nakuru,” Khalwale said.
“Is this yet another attempt to lock out Western Kenya from this modern development?”
He also demanded clarity on the status of the Kapsabet–Chebukali–Shinyalu–Kakamega road, which President Ruto had publicly pledged to fund during a visit to Shinyalu Market two months ago.
“Can you confirm that this project is on track, and when exactly will construction begin?” Khalwale pressed.
Once AGAIN! Western is being denied an opportunity to benefit from the Nairobi-Nakuru-Malaba border road dualing project. Completely unacceptable..
However, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir offered reassurances, announcing that Kenya will break ground on the long-awaited dualling of the Rironi–Nakuru–Eldoret highway before the end of August.
Appearing before the Senate, Chirchir said the project is being implemented under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with several investor proposals already under evaluation.
“We plan to undertake the dualling of the Rironi–Nakuru and Nakuru–Eldoret highways under the PPP framework. Several concession proponents are already in the development phase,” the CS stated.
Chirchir clarified that the multi-phase project will extend from Rironi — where the current dual carriage ends — all the way to Eldoret and eventually Malaba, reinforcing trade and transport connectivity between Nairobi and Western Kenya.
“We’re looking at Rironi, Naivasha, Nakuru, Mau Summit, all the way to Eldoret. The A8 and A8 South sections will both be covered,” he said, adding that the Rironi–Mai Mahiu–Naivasha bypass (A8 South) offers an alternative to the congested Nakuru route.
Although no formal contractor has been awarded the tender, Chirchir noted that technical groundwork, including geotechnical soil tests, is already underway.
Khalwale’s remarks reflect a broader sentiment among leaders from Western Kenya who feel the region is under-prioritized in the current administration’s development agenda.
