Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr has renewed pressure on the national government to fast-track the dualling of the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway after a tragic road accident at Salama claimed the lives of 17 pilgrims.
In a statement issued on Sunday, October 4, Mutula said urgent action was needed to enhance road safety along the busy highway, warning that further delays could result in more fatalities.
The governor also urged the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to immediately implement safety measures at Salama, pointing to similar interventions carried out at the Salgaa and Nithi Bridge sections.
“The loss of 17 lives is a stark reminder that more must be done to protect motorists, passengers, pedestrians, and all other road users,” Mutula Jr stated.
“The National Government must now urgently address the dualling of the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway and ensure that the Kenya National Highways Authority takes decisive measures to address the Salama area, just as was done in the Salgaa and Nithi Bridge sections, before we lose more lives.”
The proposed dualling of the 461-kilometre Nairobi-Mombasa Highway has remained stalled for almost a decade despite government plans announced in 2017 to award the construction tender to an American firm.
The proposed Ksh468 billion Usahihi Expressway project by Everstrong Capital was later rejected and terminated by the National Treasury and the Public-Private Partnership Committee over concerns about its high cost and the financial risks it posed to the government.
The greenfield project would have involved constructing a new expressway. However, the government has since abandoned that approach in favour of expanding the existing Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, commonly referred to as the A8.
Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir confirmed on March 18 that the government was advancing plans to dual the highway, which remains among its priority infrastructure projects.
Appearing before the Senate on the same day, Chirchir said the development phase would commence after the completion of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) assessment report, which was then in its final stages following consultations with various stakeholders.
Under the revised plan, KeNHA is expected to pursue a brownfield model that will involve expanding the existing A8 into a tolled, access-controlled dual carriageway with at least four lanes.
The planned expansion is aimed at easing congestion and improving safety along one of Kenya's busiest transport corridors.
KeNHA began the process of procuring a transaction advisor in the middle of the year to help structure the proposed expansion model, with initial implementation stages already underway.
Meanwhile, the government will meet burial expenses for the 17 victims and facilitate the transportation of their bodies to their respective families.
Jomvu Member of Parliament (MP) Badi Twalib confirmed the support on Sunday after conveying President William Ruto's pledge during a visit to St Mathias Mulumba Parish in Mikindani.
The government is also expected to conduct postmortems on the victims, with the findings set to be made public at a later stage.
