NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 5 – The ongoing reconstruction of the Nithi Bridge is beginning to generate economic opportunities for communities around the project site, with residents anticipating more jobs and business activity as construction gathers pace.
For residents such as Dennis Mureithi, the project represents more than a solution to a longstanding road-safety challenge. He sees the bridge as a potential source of employment and income for young people and other residents who depend on casual work.
Mureithi, a resident of Chuka-Igamba Ng’ombe in Tharaka Nithi County, said preparatory works had already started, creating initial employment opportunities at the site.
“My biggest joy is that once this work starts properly, it is a very big project. The people of Tharaka Nithi County will have a big opportunity to get jobs here,” he said.
He estimated that the project could provide opportunities for more than 200 local workers during implementation, particularly as construction activities increase.
“Many young people like us, and even older people who do not have jobs, will get an opportunity to work here. We are already seeing some people employed during the preparations,” Murethi said.
At the project site, the economic impact is already being felt by some residents employed in preliminary works. Dalmas Mugendi, who was born near the bridge, said about 20 workers were currently engaged in the section where he works. He expects the number of workers and economic activity around the site to rise as the main construction works progress.
Residents view the bridge as an investment capable of supporting longer-term economic activity in the region. “This is not just an ordinary bridge. We are told it will be about 100 metres high. It will be unique in this area, and even tourists may come to see it,” he said.
Murethi similarly linked the project to the wider economic transformation of Tharaka Nithi, saying the benefits would extend beyond the construction workforce. For him, the arrival of a major infrastructure investment signals increased economic activity in an area that has for years lived with the limitations of the old bridge.
The economic logic behind such infrastructure investment is also reflected in the Government’s broader development strategy, which places transport connectivity, infrastructure and job creation among the measures intended to expand economic opportunities. In its 2026 priorities, the Government said it was anchoring its economic model on work, production and exports, supported by investment in infrastructure, energy, agriculture and skills development. Residents say the significance of the project will ultimately be measured not only by the bridge itself, but by the economic activity it enables.
For Mugendi, the early activity at the site is evidence that the project is moving from plans to implementation. “Development is on the ground. People should come and see for themselves. The batching plant is being prepared, and soon we will start doing concrete,” he said.
