President William Ruto has revealed that the government will kickstart the procurement process for the construction of a Nithi bridge on Tuesday, August 5.
The president said that new designs of the bridge have already been done, and construction will kickstart as soon as the procurement process is done. According to Ruto, the construction of the new bridge will be complete before the 2027 general elections.
"People from Tharaka Nithi have always urged me to construct the bridge or they will have problems with me, but I want to assure them that I must construct the bridge, whatever comes may," Ruto said.
"We are starting the procurement process of the Nithi bridge tomorrow. The new designs of the bridge are ready, and I have already checked them. The new design is good because instead of it being curved, we will make it straight," he added.
The Nithi bridge, which is located along the Embu Meru Highway, is considered a black spot primarily due to its design and surrounding road conditions, which make it prone to accidents.
Due to its steep descent, sharp turns, and lack of proper safety precautions, the bridge has seen numerous deadly crashes throughout the years.
According to Ruto, the construction of the bridge, which will cost the government approximately Ksh7 billion, will be fundamental in protecting the lives of motorists and passengers who use the bridge.
"I have already given instructions that the bridge must be completed before the elections because I do not want the bridge to continue causing losses to Kenyans. It's a very expensive bridge, but we must do it to save lives," Ruto said.
The announcement by the Head of State comes days after Transport Cabinet Secretary, Davis Chirchir, said that the government is in the process of reviving over 580 stalled road projects across the country.
Appearing before the National Assembly on Wednesday, July 23, the transport boss claimed that the government had already paid contractors by disbursing 40 percent of the outstanding payments.
The CS had assured that he had directed Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), and Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to ensure the timely completion of the projects.
"The biggest challenge has been a lack of liquidity to settle pending bills. That is why contractors halted work," the CS said.
"As a Ministry, we have eliminated the excuse of non-payment from contractors. We have now engaged regional engineers from all three road agencies to streamline project delivery and ensure there is value for money in all the road projects in the country," he added.
