In a move to convert the 84km Kenol–Sagana–Marua Road in Central and Eastern Kenya from a two-way single carriageway into a dual bypass, the government has landed a 209 million euros loan (Ksh33 billion) from the African Development Bank.
The road that is due for completion in 2025, will improve traffic flow between the port city of Mombasa and major centers like Nairobi. AFDB board of directors approved the loan after a September 26, meeting in Abidjan.
It is expected to cut traveling time between Nyeri and Nairobi by at least one hour and also ease transport between Nairobi and the Mount Kenya region; and ultimately Ethiopia.
According to a project report, about 1.15 million people will benefit from the upgraded highway with 44% of the beneficiaries projected to be women.
The current Kenol–Sagana–Marua Road is situated along the “Great North Road”, which forms part of the 800km stretch between Nairobi and Moyale running across the five counties of Muranga, Kirinyaga, Machakos, Embu, and Nyeri.
Twelve percent of the funding will come from the Africa Growing Together Fund set up by the People's Bank of China in 2014 while the African Development Bank will finance the huge chunk of the project.
The Kenyan government will in turn top up the financing of the project with a Ksh6.4 billion.
Sh22 billion will go to contractors while Sh11 billion will go towards supervision and compensation.
A 21st-century road must take into account climate change that often leads to road runoff, flooding, and erosion as such, to counter these phenomena, trees will be planted in the surrounding area.
