President William Ruto’s administration has downscaled the construction of five key roads that were started by his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta. This was due to the government cutting the infrastructural budget by Ksh47.3 billion as part of austerity measures to reduce foreign borrowing. In addition to the five key projects, the rehabilitation of roads across the country has also been stopped according to the supplementary budget.
The Thika-Kenol-Maua Road was one of Uhuru’s last key projects under his administration. His government had planned to dual 27 kilometers of the road. However, under the current proposal, the government will construct only 6.5 kilometers instead of the envisioned 27 kilometers. The Arusha-Holili-Voi Road was supposed to be a transport corridor of the East African Region that linked the Northern Corridor of Voi to the Central Corridor across the common border at Holili/Taveta through Arusha, Babati to Dodoma and Singida. After the budget cuts, only 1.5 kilometers of the proposed 30 will be constructed.
The Mau Mau Road in Mount Kenya was also hit by Ruto’s proposed austerity measures. Instead of 49 kilometers, only 13 kilometers have been budgeted for in the supplementary budget. The construction will be divided into three phases. The Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project was part of the previous administration’s plan to open up trade in the Horn of Africa. Only 30 kilometers will now be constructed out of the envisioned 98 kilometers, which were supposed to link Kenya with Ethiopia and Somalia.
The Kisumu-Miwani-Chemelil-Muhoroni Road, a proposed 20-kilometer road connecting Miwani, Kibigori, Chemelil, and Muhoroni towns in Kisumu County, will only have five kilometers constructed according to the supplementary budget.
