The national government has earmarked Sh4 billion to finalize the Sh30 billion Mau Mau roads project, which was initiated in 2019 by the Jubilee government to honor Mau Mau fighters and enhance the road network near the Aberdare forest.
Covering a total of 540 kilometers across Kiambu, Nyandarua, Murang’a, and Nyeri counties, the project traces the historic routes used by Mau Mau fighters during their resistance against colonial rule. However, construction stalled in 2022, leaving sections of the roads degraded and impassable due to adverse weather conditions.
Chairperson of the budget committee in the National Assembly, Ndindi Nyoro, confirmed on Monday that the funds have been allocated in the new budget to ensure the project’s completion. Once finished, these roads will significantly improve connectivity in previously underserved areas, stimulating local economies and boosting business activities, including tourism.
“These Mau Mau roads are crucial infrastructure for the Central region, and their completion is essential,” Nyoro emphasized.
He disclosed that the allocated funds are part of a Sh57 billion budget set aside to finalize various ongoing road projects nationwide. Additionally, Nyoro announced a separate allocation of Sh3.5 billion to raise police officers’ salaries, aiming to improve their living standards and address longstanding welfare issues highlighted in a report by a task force led by former Chief Justice David Maraga.
Nyoro underscored the urgency of passing the new Appropriations bill in the National Assembly this week, highlighting other allocations in the budget, including Sh18 billion for the permanent employment of Junior Secondary School teachers, responding to demands from 46,000 protesting interns, and various funding packages for agricultural reforms, including Sh7.5 billion for subsidized fertilizers, Sh1 billion for sugar sector reforms, and Sh3 billion for the Coffee Cherry Fund.
“In the dairy sector, we have allocated Sh1.5 billion to support New KCC in stabilizing milk prices, aiming for farmers to receive at least Sh50 per liter to ensure profitability,” Nyoro concluded during the launch of the tarmacking of the 7-kilometer Karichiungu Gitui road in his constituency.
