A new chapter is unfolding in the long-marginalised Eastern region as construction of the 192-kilometre Kibwezi–Mutomo–Kitui–Kabati–Migwani Road gains pace after a four-year stall.

According to Resident Engineer Dorcas Sinde, work resumed on September 1, 2025, after the government settled a significant portion of pending bills, unlocking progress on one of the more than 580 road projects previously stalled across the country.

She said the project halted in 2021 due to non-payment, but has now fully restarted.
“The section that is remaining is 23 km, and this additional section actually was suspended due to non-payment in 2021, so it just recently resumed on 1st September 2025,” said Eng. Sinde, a Civil Engineer.
Highlighting the strategic value of the road, Eng. Sinde noted that it will dramatically ease movement for long-distance and heavy commercial vehicles ferrying goods from the Coast.

“So, this road is a very important part of the road network in Kenya because it will allow movement of vehicles, especially heavy goods vehicles that are coming from Mombasa,” she stated.

She added that transporters will no longer need to divert all the way to Kanyonyo along the Mwingi–Garissa Road.
“They can choose to take the turn at Kabati, going all the way to Mbondon, which is a shorter way as compared to going all the way to Kanyonyo,” she explained.

Beyond improving the national transport corridor, the road is expected to spur growth across communities in Makueni, Kitui, Garissa, Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
“Additionally, the road will also be very important for the people who live around here because it will give access to utilities, and it will also spur economic activity in this area,” she added.

Eng. Sinde said the government had settled up to 80 per cent of the contractor’s pending bills through the road levy securitisation programme.
“This has been very important for the progress of the project because, as I said earlier, this project was suspended in 2021, the contractor could not continue with works because of the heavy pending bills,” she asserted.

Through this programme, the government released Sh1.2 billion to the contractor, reducing the outstanding amount to Sh519 million, clearing the path for works to continue uninterrupted.

Local residents have welcomed the project, saying it promises to overhaul mobility, reduce transport costs and improve access to essential services.
“Generally, once the construction of this road is completed, the community living around it will benefit a lot; transport costs will drop, fares will be reduced, and it will be easy for people to move from one point to another,” said resident Michael Nzau Kioko.

He added that the road’s linkage across five counties will enhance emergency response, which has long been a challenge.
“So, this is a major road and it has come as a great relief to the residents in terms of employment; this road has created employment— the workers are locals but there are also people from other places,” he said.

Another resident, Alex Musili, said the resumption has already transformed livelihoods.
“At least we have been helped because I didn’t have a job before, and now I am employed here. So I just want to say thank you, and let’s continue with this spirit of development,” he stated.

He added that the cost of travel will drastically reduce.
“This is real development. For instance, someone travelling from Migwani to Mwingi used to pay three hundred shillings, but once the tarmac is laid here, they’ll be paying one hundred shillings from Mwingi.”

The Sh20-billion road project is expected to be completed within the next one and a half years, ushering in improved connectivity and new economic opportunities for the Eastern region.