President William Ruto has linked Government investments in roads, affordable housing, modern markets and electricity connectivity to growing economic potential in West Pokot County, saying land values in areas benefiting from the projects have risen more than tenfold.
The President made the remarks during his development tour of West Pokot on Friday, when he inspected ongoing infrastructure projects and engaged residents in Makutano and Sigor.
The tour included an inspection of the 35-kilometre Kopasi River-Lomut-Sigor-Marich Pass road, a KSh4.4 billion project that is 60 per cent complete.
The road forms part of the wider Nakuru-Marich Pass Road, which is expected to provide an alternative to the Nakuru-Eldoret route, shorten the journey to Lodwar by 70 kilometres and reduce travel time by more than two hours.
The President said the project would help open up West Pokot and the wider Kerio Valley to trade and investment, strengthening connectivity as part of the Government’s vision of making Kenya a more equal country.
He also assessed construction progress at the KSh147 million Makutano Modern Market, which is 69 per cent complete and scheduled to be completed in December 2026.
After establishing that the market would not be sufficient to accommodate the growing number of traders, the Government committed an additional KSh300 million for a second market in January 2027.
In the sports sector, the National Government will take over the construction of the 10,000-seater Makutano Stadium and inject KSh800 million to complete it. The facility is intended to provide modern sporting infrastructure to nurture local talent and promote sports development.
The President also flagged off a KSh335 million Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Project in Makutano, targeting 1,719 homes.
At the Kapenguria Kenya Medical Training College, he laid the foundation stone for a 580-bed student hostel, a KSh221 million investment under the Affordable Housing Programme. The Government will also construct 20 classrooms to expand the institution’s capacity to train healthcare professionals.
The projects were presented during engagements in which President Ruto reaffirmed his commitment to placing West Pokot at the centre of the Government’s transformation agenda.
The development programme spans transport, electricity, markets, sports and medical training, with the Government linking the investments to improved connectivity and expanded economic opportunities in the county.
