NAIROBI, Kenya- President William Ruto has launched a 55-kilometre road linking Twimiwa, Tseikuru and Usweni in Mwingi North, Kitui County.
Ruto said the project will cost Sh5 billion and connect farming and pastoralist communities to markets, public services and other opportunities.
“One kilometre at a time, we are bridging the economic divide caused by historical marginalisation in the sharing of national resources,” he said.
The road launch is part of Ruto’s four-day development tour of Ukambani, which covers Kitui, Machakos and Makueni counties.
The programme includes road projects, water and electricity initiatives, affordable housing projects and the issuance of title deeds.
During Monday’s visit to Mwingi North, Ruto was also scheduled to inspect the Tseikuru Affordable Housing Project and issue title deeds to residents.
The tour’s final day is expected to include a groundbreaking ceremony for a clinker cement factory in Ngaie, before the President visits Machakos County.
The government says the new road will improve access between communities and markets.
Residents in the area rely on farming and livestock keeping, and improved transport links could make it easier to move produce and livestock to buyers and reach services.
Ruto said the project formed part of his administration’s effort to spread infrastructure investment across the country and address regional development gaps.
The road’s length, cost and expected benefits were announced by the President; further details on its construction timeline were not included in his statement.
The Ukambani tour began on Saturday, October 24, with stops planned in Machakos, Makueni and Kitui. Other projects on the tour include the Wote-Kako-Ngoluni Road in Makueni, the Kwa Vonza-Kanyangi-Chandula Road in Kitui and water and electricity projects across the region.
