Kenya has announced plans to rehabilitate Muhoroni-Miwani–Kisumu road after years of neglect. Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Assistant Director of Corporate Communications Charles Njogu revealed the plans and said the authority will soon float the tender for the road works. “The long-awaited rehabilitation road project that has subdued business activities along the corridor, will be tendered next week and the rest will just follow the procurement process,” said Mr Njogu.
Poor state of Muhoroni-Miwani-Kisumu road
Upon completion, the road will bring to an end perennial transport crisis for farmers in the region, especially in the sugarcane sector and help boost food security for improved livelihoods. The 50km stretch running through Chemelil, Miwani and Kibos to join the Kisumu –Kakamega road at the Mamboleo junction traverses three major sugar cane millers and has been in bad shape for more than two decades. The road which was built in the early 60s, has become impassable and public service vehicles abandoned it, leaving tractors and motorbikes as the only means of transport.
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The damaged road has hurt the sugar cane millers in huge costs of repairs to tractors and vehicles as they struggle with basic operational costs and stall frequently. The millers have for a long time blamed the bad stretch for delayed harvesting of sugarcane. Trucks ferrying sugar cane to Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries Limited from the offsite weighbridges in Awasi, and Koru have to go to Kisumu on the main highway to avoid the badly damaged road.
Construction of roads in Kenya
Meanwhile, more than 11 major roads are being constructed across the country at a total cost of US $1.4bn. All the projects are being undertaken by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), development partners and other financiers including the World Bank, China Exim Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). KeNHA has also embarked on the rehabilitation of major road networks across the country for sustainable socio-economic development.
