Construction has resumed on the long-stalled 63-kilometer Mamboleo-Chemelil-Muhoroni-Kipsitet road, three years after work was abandoned due to financial constraints under the Jubilee administration.
Nyanza Regional Commissioner (RC) Flora Mworoa confirmed that new contractors are now on-site, reviving the Sh. 4.9 billion project that initially began in 2020 during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure.
“The road has not been progressing well, but I am happy that new contractors have taken over. They have assured us that they will accelerate construction and complete the project within the stipulated time,” Mworoa stated.
Roadwork Progress and Challenges
The project has been subdivided into three sections, with different construction firms handling each lot. However, Mworoa noted that while progress stands at 15 percent, contractors are still facing payment delays.
“The contractor is back on-site and still experiencing some challenges with payments, but they have assured us that work will not stop,” she said.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) oversees the project, which includes significant upgrades such as widening the road to 11 meters, adding drainage channels, passing lanes, bus stops, culverts, and urban access roads. Some sections will also be expanded into a dual carriageway.
Economic Importance and Government Commitment
The road, originally built in the 1960s, deteriorated due to years of neglect, forcing motorists to seek alternative routes. However, its rehabilitation is critical to the region’s economy as it cuts through four major sugar factories—Kibos, Miwani, Chemelil, and Muhoroni.
“The completion of this road will boost agricultural productivity by easing the transportation of sugarcane to factories and sugar to the market,” said Sylvance Osele, Head of the Government Delivery Unit (GDU) in Nyanza.
Osele assured that apart from the Mamboleo project, all other government projects in Kisumu County are financially stable.
“Save for Mamboleo, all projects in the region are fully funded, and contractors have been paid up to date,” he confirmed.
Inspection of Other Key Projects
Mworoa and the oversight team also toured other critical infrastructure projects in Kisumu County, including:
- Kisumu International Airport Traffic Control Tower (Sh. 314 million) – Currently 67% complete, expected to be operational by May 2025.
- Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project (Sh. 1.2 billion) – Now 80% complete, the project will increase sewer connectivity in Kisumu from 16% to 40%.
- Eastern Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Project (EASTRIP) at Kisumu National Polytechnic (Sh. 1.08 billion) – A new textile industrial facility aimed at enhancing vocational skills and industrial growth.
With the Kenya Kwanza administration fast-tracking the Mamboleo road project, stakeholders remain hopeful that the long-awaited infrastructure will soon transform the region’s transport and economic landscape.
