Officials have announced that construction of the Gatanga highway, in Kenya, has resumed following a pause caused by lack of funding. Contractors began construction on the highway in 2020. It is a 68 kilometer highway that connects Gatakaini, in Gatanga, to Njabiini in Nyandarua county. Construction has been halted for the past 2 years. Residents have expressed their joy with the resumption of the highway that is expected to help support business activities in both Murang’a and Nyandarua county. Furthermore, the project is expected to improve tourism in the Aberdare Forest region. The 3 billion shilling highway will provide opportunities for investors to hopefully develop hotels and other activities in the area.
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Who benefits from the project
Commuters using the highway from the region to Rift Valley will access Gatarua and Thika Superhighway faster due to the highway t. The journey has been shorten by hundreds of kilometers. Passengers will be able to access the highway through Kinyona in Kigumo as well. Henan Highway Engineering Group, a Chinese company, has been contracted to construct the project. A representative of the company, Leonard Kipkoech, expressed confidence that the project would be completed soon. Currently, nearly 100 skilled workers have been employed to construct the Gatanga highway.
Project Overview
Location: Murang’a county to Nyandarua county
Cost: 3 billion KES
Contractor: Henan Highway Engineering Group
Construction start date: 2020
“This road will ease the lives of residents by making it easier to move and reduce the time taken by motorists travelling to and from Nakuru,” said Leonard Kipkoech, the foreman representing Henan Highway Engineering Group. Jiang Junfeng, the company director, pointed out that they are working on nine other road projects in the country in collaboration with the national government.
