By Remmy Butia
Gubernatorial hopeful Cynthia Muge has rolled out an ambitious 11-point roadmap aimed at rescuing Nandi County’s ailing road network, which she describes as the backbone of the region’s agricultural and economic transformation.
Through her official Facebook page, Cynthia Muge noted that nearly 70% of non-bitumen roads in the county are in poor condition, severely hampering farmers, traders, and residents.
Nandi County boasts a total road network of approximately 7,542 kilometres – comprising 368 km of bitumen roads, 294 km currently under upgrading, about 2,500 km of gravel roads, and roughly 4,500 km of earth roads.
“Provision of a reliable and motorable road network is essential for sustainable development,” Muge said.
Among her key proposals is the establishment of a GIS-based road asset management system, which will use GPS surveys to map every road, track conditions, and guide equitable resource allocation across all wards.
She also pledged to survey, beacon, and protect road reserves – an issue she first raised as Kilibwoni Ward Member of the County Assembly via a motion. “It is time to actualise it,” she asserted.
To improve durability, Muge proposes the adoption of quarry dust, crushed hardcore, and quality murram with mechanical compaction. Maintenance machinery would be decentralised into three-ward clusters, reducing fuel costs and response times.
Recognising water as “the greatest enemy of road infrastructure,” her plan includes comprehensive drainage systems – mitre drains, culverts, and stone-pitched waterways – with runoff safely directed to farms where possible.
Other interventions include acquiring county quarry sites for reliable material supply, upgrading steep rural roads using low-cost bituminous surfacing, and partnering with tea factories, sugar companies, and dairy cooperatives to ensure cess funds are prudently used.
Muge also intends to bring in the National Youth Service (NYS) for labour-intensive maintenance such as drain cleaning and erosion control, creating youth jobs while cutting costs. Local contractors will be engaged for specialised works such as bridge construction and soil stabilisation.
On urban roads, she targets upgrading at least three kilometres annually across major towns including Kapsabet, Nandi Hills, Lessos, Maraba, Kaptumo, Kobujoi, Serem, Kabiyet, Himaki, Kaiboi, Kipkaren Salient, Chesumei sub-county headquarters, and Chemundu.
“A motorable, efficient, and well-maintained road network is the foundation of economic growth, agricultural transformation, and social development,” Muge said. “Through strategic planning, innovative maintenance, strong partnerships, and prudent use of resources, we can transform Nandi’s road infrastructure and unlock opportunities for every resident, farmer, trader, student, and entrepreneur.”
