Repairs on super-highway delayed by unavailability of funds

Delay in repair works of damaged sections of the Thika Superhighway, with comprehensive rehabilitation of the Thika-Kenol stretch has been attributed to the unavailability of funds.

The Ministry of Transport has said that routine maintenance is underway but the extent of deterioration on some sections of the highway requires additional funding for pavement strengthening and reconstruction.

The Ministry’s remarks are in response to Mathioya MP, Gichuki Mugo, who, among other issues, sought to establish several issues, including a report on maintenance and rehabilitation plans put in place by the Ministry of Roads and Transport for the Thika Superhighway.

In particular, Mugo sought a response over the status of the stretch from Ngara to Kenol in Murang'a County, the reasons for delay in repairing potholes and other damaged sections of the Thika Superhighway.

He also wanted the Ministry to outline measures being undertaken to address deterioration to enhance road safety and the timelines within which the Government intends to complete the necessary repairs and rehabilitation works to ensure it is in a motorable condition.

According to the Ministry, the Ngara-Kenol section comprises the Nairobi-Thika Superhighway (S1) and the Thika-Kenol section of the A2 Road.

“The maintenance interventions undertaken on the sections include surface dressing on the Nairobi-Thika main carriageway in 2019, localised repairs and pothole patching along the service lanes in 2025 and rehabilitation on selected sections along the non-motorised transport facilities (walkways) in 2025,” the Ministry explained in a response through the Clerk of the National Assembly.

The Ministry also explained that the Performance Based Maintenance Contracts are ongoing on the Nairobi-Ruiru section.

The major scope includes construction of bus bays at Roysambu and Githurai aimed at improving traffic operations and safety along the sections, pothole patching at failed sections, installation of road signs, road marking along the constructed bus bays, performance-based maintenance of the carriageway, and road reserve and structures to the required service level.

The Ministry has also explained the Ruiru-Thika section, saying the scope includes construction of a climbing lane along the Blue Post section at Thika, construction of bus bays along the Witeithie section, pothole patching at failed sections, provision of road marking, performance-based maintenance of the carriageway, and road reserve and structures to the required service level.

For the Thika-Kenol section, the Ministry has said that the section of the A2 Road was recarpeted in 2022 but due to budgetary constraints, sealing the overlay with surface dressing on the road section could not be executed within the same contract.

“The overlay experienced severe ravelling resulting from the effects of the excess rainfall experienced between October 2023 and May 2024 after the overlay,” the statement read.

 The Ministry further said that the road is currently under a performance-based maintenance contract whose major scope includes drainage works comprising provision of access culverts (900mm) and drain excavation.

Also involved is localised base repairs with hand-packed stones, surface dressing using 6/10mm chippings and 80/100 penetration grade bitumen, on selected sections, provision of road marking and other specified road furniture, and performance-based maintenance of the carriageway, road reserve and structures to the required service level.

Similarly, budgetary and contractual constraints have also been experienced, with the Ministry noting that the current contract quantities are insufficient to accommodate asphalt concrete overlay on all the severely ravelled sections.

“It has thus been considered necessary to forego the surface dressing and utilise the funds allocated to surface dressing to address more of the ravelled sections through asphalt concrete regulation.”

While the traffic loading on the Thika Superhighway, Thika-Kenol and Kenol-Marua is considered uniform, the Ministry said faster deterioration is experienced along the Thika-Kenol section due to the inferior pavement structure.

To this end, the road section requires additional funding for pavement strengthening and in the long term, the Thika-Kenol section forms part of the Government's planned upgrading of the Thika-Kenol-Marua corridor.

Implementation of major rehabilitation and upgrading works is dependent on the availability of funding, completion of procurement processes and fulfilment of statutory requirements.

On the delay in pothole repair and other damaged sections, the Ministry said that since opening of the Thika Superhighway to traffic in 2012, the major maintenance interventions undertaken on the highway include single seal surface dressing in 2019.

The road has over the years experienced deterioration due to the effects of traffic loading and weather.

The deterioration is particularly pronounced on the service lanes and non-motorised transport facilities due to inherent limitations in the original pavement design.

According to the Ministry, the non-motorised transport facilities were constructed with a 35 mm asphalt concrete wearing course, while many sections experience poor drainage that has accelerated pavement deterioration.

Similarly, the service roads were constructed with a less robust pavement structure than the main carriageway, making them more susceptible to premature failure under increasing traffic loads.

But the Ministry submitted that the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) carries out regular road condition assessments through the Annual Roads Inventory and Conditions Survey (ARICS), the Dynamic Response Intelligence Monitoring System (DRIMS) and routine inspections to identify and prioritise critical interventions.

The interventions undertaken over the years, however, only envisage holding maintenance, with comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction of the affected sections to be done, subject to availability of funds.

“Due to budgetary constraints, delays have been experienced in undertaking the required treatments, including base repairs, reconstruction of the failed sections and drainage improvement works,” the Ministry said.

On the timelines for completion, the Ministry noted that the holding maintenance works under the ongoing performance-based contracts are continuous and will be undertaken throughout the contract period to ensure the road remains safe and motorable.

In Financial Year 2025/26, the maintenance allocation was Sh1.4 billion while in Financial Year 2026/2027, the maintenance allocation is Sh1.64 billion.

For the Nairobi-Ruiru section, the Ministry explained that the contract commenced on June 9 last year and is a 24-month contract with a scheduled completion date of June 8, next year.

On the Ruiru-Thika section, the contract commenced in June last year and is a 24-month contract with a scheduled completion date of June next year.

The Thika-Kenol section’s contract commenced on November 24 last year, a 24-month contract with a scheduled completion date of November next year.

Comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Thika-Kenol section will be undertaken subject to the availability of funding, completion of the requisite procurement processes and fulfilment of statutory requirements.

In his response, Mugo noted that the budget to manage the Thika Superhighway has been increasing but some issues are still not adequately addressed.

One of the issue he raised was the construction of bus bays in Roysambu, Githurai and Witeithie, saying they are critical in decongesting the road and managing road accidents.

“There is no timeline as to when these works will commence and be completed. The response has introduced the issue of construction of a climbing lane at Blue Post section. It has just been mentioned and there is no indication of when the construction will start and be completed,” Mugo noted.

He said the common factor here is the issue of additional funding, even as he stated that with the introduction of the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), the Ministry had not indicated when these funds would be availed so as to improve the condition of the road.

“We can also look at the low-hanging fruit like the street lighting which is in very poor condition. There is also a need for a footbridge at Montezuma in Kabati to reduce road accidents and traffic congestion. The Ministry, through KeNHA and the Committee, should address some of those low-hanging fruits,” he insisted.