State Targets Early August to Clear Ksh 175 Billion Road Arrears
The Kenya Roads Board (KRB) confirmed that the government would use proceeds from a Ksh 175 billion bond to settle the remaining 40% of the bills.
Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir. Photo/KBC Digital.
By Juliet Jerotich
The government has vowed to clear all outstanding road construction payments by the first week of August, offering a sigh of relief to contractors and reviving stalled projects across the country.
Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir, told the Senate that the state had mobilized Ksh 175 billion to offset pending bills that have piled up since before December 2024. He assured lawmakers that work had already resumed on several roads previously halted due to funding constraints.
“We are on track to clear all arrears and bring contractors back to sites. By early August, we expect to be done with payments,” said Chirchir.
As of December last year, the ministry was staring at a Ksh 160 billion backlog, leading to widespread suspension of infrastructure projects. The Kenya Roads Board (KRB) confirmed that the government would use proceeds from a Ksh 175 billion bond to settle the remaining 40% of the bills.
Chirchir stressed that no new road projects will be launched until all pending payments are fully addressed, calling it a necessary step to restore trust with contractors and ensure fiscal discipline.
Meanwhile, on land compensation matters, the CS clarified that only property owners within a 1.5-kilometer radius of the Ngong–Riruta railway line will be eligible for compensation. The government has already allocated Ksh 2.8 billion for this purpose.
He underscored the railway’s importance in Nairobi’s push toward green and sustainable transport, but acknowledged that road projects like the Bomas–Kiserian route remain vital to easing traffic congestion in the capital.
In another major development, Chirchir announced that construction of the much-anticipated Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit dual carriageway will kick off before the end of August.
The 175-kilometer project is expected to revolutionize travel across the Rift Valley, boosting trade, cutting travel time, and enhancing connectivity between Nairobi and western Kenya.
The government’s push to settle arrears comes amid public pressure to fast-track infrastructure development and avoid new debt while reviving economic momentum. If completed as promised, this financial intervention could mark a significant turnaround in the country’s road infrastructure narrative.
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