Advertisement
Goodbye to Thika Road traffic menace as Ruto okays expressway construction
12th December, 2025 02:39 PM
President William Ruto has announced plans to construct a new expressway stretching from Thika to Museum Hill in a bid to ease the persistent traffic congestion along the busy Thika Road corridor.
Speaking during the Jamhuri Day Celebrations on Friday, December 12, 2025, Ruto acknowledged the daily struggles faced by commuters who rely on Thika Road, one of the country’s most heavily used highways.
“Najua pia wananchi wengi wanaishi kule Thika na sasa barabara ya Thika Road pia imejaa na kuna msongamano mkubwa wa magari,” he said.
“Ningependa kutangaza ya kwamba mwaka ujao, vile tuko na expressway kutoka JKIA, pia tutajenga expressway kutoka Thika mpaka ifike hapa Museum Hill, ndio wananchi wale wanateseka na mambo ya jam tuweze kuondoa msongamano wa sehemu hiyo.”
Dualling of Highways
This comes a few weeks after he announced plans to dual 2,500 highways and tarmac 28,000 kilometres of roads over the next 10 years.
Speaking during the State of the Nation Address in Parliament, Ruto said the expansion of the transport and logistics network is critical to Kenya’s economic growth and regional competitiveness.
He cited Japan’s post-war road expansion as a model, noting that strategic investment in transport infrastructure can transform a nation’s fortunes.
“History teaches us that nations rise on the strength of transport and logistics. Japan’s post-war revival, enabled by strategic road expansion, is a clear example: From only 2,000 roads, they constructed over a million kilometres of paved roads in seven decades, while Kenya has constructed just 22,000 km over a relatively similar period,” he said.
To kick-start the programme, the president launched the eagerly awaited dualling of the 170 km Rironi-Naivasha-Nakuru-Mau Summit road.
On the same day, he said, he will also break ground for the dualing of the 58 km Rironi-Maai Mahiu-Naivasha road.
“The gridlock that paralyses these roads every day, especially on weekends and holidays, will soon be history,” Ruto said.
The roads earmarked for dualing include Muthaiga-Kiambu-Ndumberi, Machakos Junction-Mariakani, Mau Summit-Kericho-Kisumu, Kisumu-Busia, Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba, Athi River-Namanga, Karatina-Nanyuki-Isiolo, and Makutano-Embu-Meru-Maua.
Others are Mtwapa-Malindi, Mombasa-Lunga Lunga, Kericho-Kisii-Migori-Isebania, Nakuru-Nyahururu-Karatina, Kisii-Oyugis-Ahero, the Northern Bypass, James Gichuru Road, Bomas-Karen-Ngong, Bomas-Ongata Rongai-Kiserian, Ngong-Isinya, and Naivasha-Kikuyu.
The president also highlighted plans to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Kisumu and eventually to Malaba.
“The works will begin in January 2026, as part of a broader effort to strengthen transport and logistics infrastructure nationwide,” he said.
