Deputy President says 775km road network will be tarmacked as Government steps up investment in electricity, healthcare, agriculture and youth facilities
By Felix Njenga
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced an ambitious Sh45 billion road development programme for Nyeri County, with 775 kilometres of roads earmarked for tarmacking in a plan aimed at improving rural connectivity, boosting agricultural production and opening up local economies.
Prof Kindiki said the Government was determined to accelerate infrastructure development across the country, promising that roads, electricity, modern markets, hospitals and sports facilities would transform livelihoods and create opportunities for residents.
Speaking during a development tour of Othaya Constituency on Monday, the Deputy President said the administration was implementing projects in a manner similar to how developed countries had built their economies through sustained investment in infrastructure and public services.
He spoke after inspecting the Gathunguri-Waihara-Kabebero road, which he said had been completed, launching the Kihuro-Kirio-Kianjogu last-mile electricity project and unveiling plans for the Giathenge-Ichamama-Witima-Kiuguini road.
The projects form part of a broader national development agenda that the Deputy President said would progressively improve living standards while strengthening economic activity in rural areas.
“Every country is developed gradually, project by project. That is how nations are built,” Prof Kindiki said, urging residents to remain confident in the Government’s development agenda.
He said the administration had identified 775 kilometres of roads across Nyeri County for upgrading to bitumen standards at an estimated cost of Sh45 billion.
The works will be implemented in phases, with the Government promising to prioritise projects according to available resources and development needs.
Prof Kindiki said improved road infrastructure would ease the movement of farm produce, reduce transport difficulties and connect farmers to markets, helping them earn better returns from agriculture.
Nyeri, whose economy relies heavily on coffee, dairy farming and other agricultural activities, stands to benefit from improved access between production areas, trading centres and major urban markets.
The Deputy President said the Government was also working to complete a major road corridor linking parts of the wider Mount Kenya region, tracing its development from the Thika Road expansion under retired President Mwai Kibaki through subsequent extensions during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.
He said President William Ruto’s administration had continued the expansion towards Karatina and was advancing plans for the section from Marwa through Nyeri Town to Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.
Prof Kindiki said residents had asked the President to ensure the road passed through Nyeri Town to protect the town’s commercial importance, adding that work on the proposed route had started.
He also cited ongoing construction of smaller roads within Nyeri Town, including the route from the Power area through Muruguru Girls towards Kengen, for which Sh163 million had been allocated.
The Deputy President further announced plans to launch another road project linking Giathenge, Ichamama, Witima and Kiuguini, describing it as a critical transport link for Othaya and neighbouring communities.
He said local contractors were playing an important role in the implementation of infrastructure projects and should be supported as part of efforts to strengthen the domestic economy.
“When choosing between a foreign contractor and a local contractor, we are better off as a country by empowering local contractors,” he said, arguing that local participation would help retain economic benefits within communities.
Beyond roads, Prof Kindiki said the Government was implementing a Sh650 million electricity connection programme targeting an additional 12,000 households and public facilities across Nyeri County.
Nyeri Town Constituency has been allocated Sh69 million to connect 815 households that remain without electricity, while a separate Sh7.6 million project will connect 65 households in Kihuro, Kirio and Kianjogu.
The Deputy President said access to electricity was essential for education, enterprise development and improved household welfare, particularly in rural areas.
He urged residents not to regard electricity as a privilege reserved for those living in affluent neighbourhoods, saying every household deserved access to the service.
Electricity connections, he added, would enable children to study at night, support small businesses and create opportunities for households to improve their incomes.
The Government’s development programme also includes investment in modern markets, affordable housing and student accommodation.
Prof Kindiki said projects financed through the housing programme, including markets, housing units and student hostels, were valued at Sh17 billion across Nyeri County, with additional projects worth Sh5 billion in the pipeline.
He said the investments were intended to address the shortage of decent trading spaces and affordable accommodation while stimulating construction activity and creating jobs.
The Deputy President cited the Othaya affordable housing project and planned improvements to local markets as part of the programme.
He also announced that the Government was constructing modern markets across the country, with work underway at about 600 sites.
The Nyeri Modern Market, estimated to cost Sh324 million, was 95 per cent complete, while the Sh70 million Ndunyo Modern Market was 90 per cent complete. Construction of Gagicha Market was also ongoing.
Prof Kindiki said the markets were designed to provide small scale traders with clean, organised and secure spaces in which to conduct business.
Facilities would include cold rooms, social halls, information and communication technology hubs, lactation rooms for mothers with young children and play areas.
He said the projects would help traders move away from operating in muddy, dusty and rain exposed environments while improving hygiene and the handling of fresh produce.
The Deputy President pointed to Othaya and Giathenge markets as examples of the standard of infrastructure the Government wanted to establish across the country.
He said Kenya could attain the level of development witnessed in Europe if it continued investing in infrastructure and improving public services.
In healthcare, Prof Kindiki said the Government had committed Sh1 billion each to Mwai Kibaki Level Six Teaching and Referral Hospital in Othaya and Nyeri Provincial General Hospital to improve facilities and expand access to specialised medical services.
He said the investment at Mwai Kibaki Hospital would build on an earlier allocation of Sh500 million, with plans to increase funding to support further expansion.
At Nyeri Provincial General Hospital, the Government is undertaking modernisation works under the supervision of the Kenya Defence Forces.
Prof Kindiki said the upgrades would enable the two facilities to respond more effectively to growing demand for treatment, equipment and specialist services.
He added that the national government was supplying medical equipment through its medical equipment support programme.
The Deputy President also defended the government’s shift towards universal health coverage through the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying the system was intended to ensure that every Kenyan could access medical insurance regardless of employment or income status.
He said approximately 77 per cent of Nyeri residents had registered under SHA, placing the county fifth nationally in enrolment.
Prof Kindiki acknowledged that the transition had encountered challenges but said the Government was working to address complaints and improve service delivery under the Taifa Care framework.
He said the intention was to ensure that people who could not afford contributions were supported by the Government, allowing them to access medical cover without being excluded because of poverty or unemployment.
The administration has also deployed approximately 107,000 community health promoters nationally through a partnership between the national and county governments.
The promoters are intended to strengthen preventive healthcare by identifying illnesses early and helping households access appropriate medical services before conditions deteriorate.
The Deputy President said the Government was investing in sports infrastructure to provide young people with facilities to develop their talents and participate in organised sporting activities.
Ruring’u Stadium has been allocated Sh900 million, while Sh55 million has been set aside to complete Mwai Kibaki Stadium in Othaya.
He said the projects would expand access to sporting facilities and give young people opportunities to develop their abilities.
The investments are part of a broader programme to improve sports infrastructure and create opportunities for young people to participate in productive activities.
Agriculture, a major source of income for Nyeri households, featured prominently in the Deputy President’s address.
Prof Kindiki said the Government had reduced the price of a 50 kilogramme bag of fertiliser from Sh7,000 to Sh2,500, with plans to lower the price further to Sh2,000 from November.
He also said the price of certified maize seed had been reduced from Sh300 to Sh150 per kilogramme, lowering the cost of a two kilogramme packet from Sh600 to Sh300.
The reductions, he said, were intended to lower production costs and enable farmers to cultivate more land without being constrained by the high cost of essential inputs.
The Government has also distributed 13 milk coolers in Nyeri County as part of a nationwide programme to improve milk preservation and reduce post harvest losses.
Prof Kindiki said 230 coolers had been distributed nationally, but acknowledged that the equipment was insufficient to meet demand from dairy farmers.
He announced that the Government had ordered an additional 670 milk coolers expected to arrive in December or January, after which they would be distributed to farmers who had not benefited from the initial allocation.
The Deputy President said the additional equipment would help prevent milk spoilage, particularly in areas where farmers lacked adequate cooling and storage facilities.
He also pointed to improvements in agricultural earnings and government interventions aimed at supporting coffee and dairy farmers.
Away from development matters, Prof Kindiki used the Othaya meeting to issue a stern warning against political violence, destruction of property and the use of young people to intimidate opponents ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He urged political leaders to compete through policies, development records and proposals for improving the country rather than mobilising supporters to attack rival camps.
The Deputy President said elections should not be treated as wars, arguing that political competition must not destroy relationships within communities or expose businesses and ordinary citizens to danger.
“An election is not a grudge, and it is not a war,” he said, urging leaders to accept that winners should take office while those who lose should wait for another opportunity.
He condemned incidents in which vehicles had been stoned, shops broken into and businesses destroyed during political confrontations, saying such acts undermined livelihoods and discouraged investment.
Prof Kindiki said many business owners had worked for years to establish enterprises to support their families, warning against allowing political interests to destroy those investments.
He said the Government would take firm action against leaders found to be encouraging violence, goonism or destruction of property, regardless of their political standing.
The Deputy President also appealed to young people not to allow politicians to recruit them into criminal activities for small payments.
He urged them to demand employment and meaningful economic opportunities instead of accepting money to attack businesses or harm fellow Kenyans.
Prof Kindiki said elders from the Kiama Kia Ma, the Kikuyu Council of Elders, Njuri Ncheke and communities in Embu and Mbeere had recently summoned him to a meeting in Kirigiti, Kiambu County, where they called on political leaders to end violence and promote peaceful competition.
He said the elders had emphasised their responsibility to protect community values and warned that those promoting violence would face public condemnation.
The Deputy President cited previous electoral contests involving former President Mwai Kibaki and other political leaders, arguing that political competition should not be used to justify attacks on citizens or their property.
He said leaders should be judged by their record of service and the proposals they present to voters, rather than their ability to mobilise crowds or intimidate opponents.
Prof Kindiki called on residents to promote national cohesion and reject politicians who seek to create divisions for political gain.
He said political disagreements should not prevent communities from working together on development or maintaining peaceful coexistence.
The Deputy President also called on residents to support the Government’s campaign against illicit alcohol and dangerous substances, warning that some traders were putting lives at risk by selling alcoholic drinks mixed with harmful chemicals.
He said the fight against illicit alcohol should not be politicised because it was fundamentally about protecting public health and safeguarding communities from substances that destroy lives.
Prof Kindiki warned that the Government would act firmly against those involved in producing and distributing dangerous alcoholic drinks.
He urged residents to report criminal activities and support efforts to ensure that young people were protected from substance abuse and directed towards productive opportunities.
The Deputy President said the Government’s development agenda would only succeed in a peaceful environment where citizens could work, operate businesses and educate their children without fear of violence.
He called for national unity, saying Kenya’s progress depended on citizens taking responsibility for building a better country for future generations.
“Those who came before us made a difference, and we must also make a difference in our generation so that we can hand over this nation to our children in a better condition than we found it,” he said.
Prof Kindiki was accompanied by Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga, Othaya MP Wambugu Wainaina, Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge, Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina, Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira, East African Community Principal Secretary Dr Carol Karugu, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi, MCAs and other leaders.
The leaders praised the Government’s development projects in Nyeri and pledged to support the administration’s efforts to expand infrastructure and improve public services.
