The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has unveiled plans to construct a 60-kilometer highway in Thika, Kiambu County in a push to make it Kenya’s sixth city.
Speaking during a consultative meeting with KeNHA officials on Friday, Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi disclosed the new infrastructure development in Thika would transform the town into an industrial Smart City.
According to Wamatangi, a feasibility study along with an environmental and social impact report had already been completed ahead of the project’s commencement.
The governor noted that the multi-million project was aimed at easing congestion and improving mobility within the town. However, he did not provide the exact date when the project would begin.
“Currently, the team is working on designs, after which public consultations will be conducted before the projects commence,” the governor stated.
Governor Wamatangi also announced the dualling of several highways that link Thika Town to Nairobi, the highways set for dualling include Haile Selassie-Upper Highway and Upper Road Roundabout-General Kago Road.
Others are the Magoko-Kenyatta Avenue Road, Kenyatta Highway through East Africa Paper Mills, Zero Gravity Distilleries to the A3 Road, and the A2/A3 Junction to Kilimambogo.
"The section of highway from Thika to Kenol Town is set to get an additional lane in both directions, while improvements are proposed for the Blue Post-Gatanga Road," revealed the Kiambu governor.
"Upgrades are also planned for the Garissa Road-Thika Bypass intersection near BAT Thika, the section of highway near Thika Sports Club and the Delmonte Junction," he added.
The announcement comes two days after the government disclosed it had allocated Ksh394 billion for the KeNHA Highways Plan, which would be used for the construction, maintenance, and expansion of major highways across the country in the next five years.
In its five-year strategic plan, the Authority is set to spend Ksh192.5 billion for major road improvement projects, including the dualling of the Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit highway.
Meanwhile, KeNHA noted that the first phase of the Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway construction had already been approved with Ksh25 billion allocated in this year's budget for the project.
