Government constructs roads worth Sh6.5 billion in Gatanga

 

The national government is implementing road projects worth Sh6.5 billion in Gatanga, Murang'a county.

Area MP Joseph Nduati who spoke while launching the nine-kilometre  Gituamba-Githioro road on Friday said the projects will improve the connectivity of villages while boosting agricultural activities.

 The President ordered the construction of the road during the burial of renowned benga artiste John Demathew in August last year following an appeal by the MP. The Sh600 million road will be completed in seven months.

The government is also constructing Kirwara-Gaitegi-Kigio-Jogoo road at a cost of Sh1 billion and Ndiara-Kahunyo-Wanduhi road that will also cost about Sh1 billion.

Another Sh3 billion road that will start at Gataka-ini in the sub county and pass through the Aberdare forest to Njabi-ini in Nyandarua is under construction.

The road will facilitate marketing of farm produce within the two regions and drastically reduce the cost from Murang’a to the Naivasha-Nakuru highway.

The Ithanga-Gati-iguru-Makuyu road that consumed Sh2.5 billion has been completed and has opened up the upper parts of Gatanga that are pre-dominantly semi-arid.

The MP pointed out the government is also constructing a tarmac road from Blue Post through the Del Monte Kenya farm to BAT area in Thika, Kiambu county.

“The government has ensured that the road connectivity in the subcounty is greatly improved which will impact positively on the economy,” he said.

  He urged locals to diversify from farming activities and invest in real estate to take advantage of the infrastructural development.

The subcounty, he noted, has the potential to handle the settlement spillage from the densely populated Thika town that would further develop the area.

“We are asking locals to now start building hotels and residential homes and reap from the new development. We want Gatanga to be become like Limuru or Kikuyu towns in Kiambu,” he said.

Nduati challenged the county government to come in and help plan and re-design local towns to grow.

He lauded the government for allowing locals to be connected with water from Ndaka-ini dam that supplies Nairobi county.

He said the water will be processed at Kigoro treatment plant and distributed to Ndungu Chege, Gitiri, Njai-ini, Mukurwe, Nyaga and Kiunyu areas at a cost of Sh300 million.

“We also have three boreholes being sunk at Kiawaihiga, Nyaga, Kibaba and one has already been completed at Nyaga,” he said.

Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina Chege said the county has benefited from numerous development projects that have improved the lives of locals.

“Lack of water and power have been our main challenges but the government is connecting most areas and now major investments are coming up especially near Thika Greens area,” she said.