Mt Kenya infrastructure projects boost trade and safety

Major infrastructure projects are transforming transport and economic activity across the Mt Kenya region in Kenya. Ongoing road improvements, including the Kenol-Sagana-Karatina Highway and the Karatina-Kiamabara-Mungetho-Gatike/Mukurweini Junction Road, are addressing long-standing issues such as congestion, potholes, and high transport costs.

In Meru, a proposed 252-kilometre road programme and a Sh3 billion town bypass are expected to strengthen links between rural farms and urban markets. In Tharaka Nithi, the reconstruction and realignment of the Nithi Bridge along the Meru–Embu highway serves as a flagship project. The new 2.7-kilometre alignment, which includes an 880-metre straight bridge, aims to eliminate the steep descents and sharp bends that have caused fatal accidents for over three decades.

Local residents and traders report that these upgrades are facilitating easier movement between counties like Kirinyaga, Embu, and Nairobi, while providing farmers with more reliable access to markets.