LAIKIPIA, Kenya, May 8 – Hope is finally returning to Mutara in Laikipia County as long-awaited plans to upgrade the Rumuruti–Mutara Road begin to take shape after years of anticipation and stalled expectations.
Residents along the Rumuruti-Mutara corridor had for decades watched economic opportunities slip away as poor roads isolated communities, slowed business and limited access to essential services.
Today, however, hope is rising across Mutara after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) awarded the KSh 2.47 billion contract for the tarmacking of the Rumuruti-Mutara Road, with contractor mobilisation already underway ahead of construction works.
According to KeNHA Director General, Luka Kimeli, the project marks a timely and transformative intervention for the region.
“The Rumuruti–Mutara Road project is therefore a timely and transformative investment for the people of Laikipia County and the wider region. Following the award of the contract by KeNHA at the end of April, the contractor has already commenced mobilisation activities, including site preparations, logistical arrangements, and deployment planning. We expect actual construction works to begin within the next three months,” said Kimeli.
The development tour of the region by President William Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has been welcomed by residents, many describing the road as a long-awaited breakthrough that could redefine the economic future of the wider Laikipia region.
Reliable roads are more than transport corridors; they are economic lifelines that determine whether communities prosper or remain locked out of opportunity.
Benjamin Karigithi, Principal of Mutara Primary and Junior School, says the road represents access, connectivity and long-awaited relief for a community that has struggled for years with poor infrastructure.
“While I have been here for two years, the road has not been good, especially when it has been raining, so I think it will be very helpful once tarmacked because it is going to ease infrastructure and transport challenges, especially for this community when they are going to the market and when children are coming to school,” says Karigithi.
Located just a few metres from the Mutara checkpoint, the school has experienced recurring transport disruptions during rainy seasons, affecting learners, teachers and surrounding communities.
“When it rains, this is where we have had a number of challenges and we hope that the initiative the government has taken will help the local community in transport,” he adds.
He further notes that farmers and traders depending on the 25-kilometre Rumuruti-Mutara Road have suffered significant economic losses due to poor connectivity, with vehicles often stuck for hours or even days during heavy rains, causing produce to spoil before reaching markets.
Karigithi says the road is expected to open up the region economically by improving movement, attracting investment and connecting residents to wider opportunities.
“Most of the communities here are pastoralists, so they will be able to transport their animals to Rumuruti more easily. NGOs will also be able to come, businesses will grow and the government will manage to reach the people better. It is going to open up everything,” he says.
He also believes the road will improve educational exposure and partnerships for schools in the region.
“We will be able to have people reaching out to our schools. Other schools can visit us to benchmark, exchange ideas and expose our children to the outside world,” he says.
During the visit, President Ruto announced that the government is constructing 217 kilometres of roads across Laikipia County and investing KSh15 billion in affordable housing projects and 13 modern markets. He also launched the Doldol Huduma Centre, which will house an ICT hub and bring 168 government services closer to residents.
Deputy President Kindiki said the government was accelerating equitable and transformative development projects aimed at creating jobs, boosting incomes and improving the quality of life for citizens across the country.
For residents of Mutara, the road is no longer just infrastructure, but a long-awaited gateway to development, opportunity and inclusion under the government’s #MaendeleoBilaMapendeleo agenda.
