President Ruto: No new roads until ones under construction are completed

President William Ruto addressing residents of Rukenya, Gichugu Constituency in Kirinyaga County on October 15, 2022. [Standard]

President William Ruto has said that the government won't start building new roads until the ones under construction are completed.

This order, he says, also applies to all other government-sponsored projects.

The president gave these instructions on Saturday, October 15, when he commissioned the Sh7.8 billion Thiba Dam in Rukenya, Gichugu Constituency in Kirinyaga County.

"I'm glad that we've finally completed the construction of this dam. I know that several projects [commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration] are yet to be completed. The building of roads has stalled mid-way because contractors have not been paid their dues. I'm urging the contractors to give us a month or two to look for money and pay them their dues so that they can complete the stalled projects," Ruto said.

"Today, I want to say that no new roads will be built by the national government until all the incomplete roads are completely upgraded," he said.

According to the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) a total of 59 roads are currently under construction in different parts of the country.

Out of the 59, the most incomplete road (one leading to Embu University) is 2.9 per cent done, while the almost fully complete road (Eastlands Road, Nairobi) is 97.8 per cent done.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), on the other hand, has at least nine major roads that are incomplete, as per data on its website.