A road project expected to transform travel between Kisumu and Kericho will remain under construction for at least four more years after fresh delays pushed its completion to September 2028, extending the wait for residents, motorists and traders who had hoped for a faster and easier route.
The Mambo Leo-Miwani-Kipsitet road was initially scheduled for completion in September 2024, but the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) says the project has been slowed by inadequate funding and the contractor's withdrawal from the site. The delays have left nearby communities without a reliable alternative road while businesses continue to feel the effects of poor transport.
KeNHA said the project has now been given more time after the contractor renewed the required advance guarantee and performance bond.
“An extension of time was granted revising completion to September 4, 2028. The contractor has since renewed the advance guarantee and performance bond as per the contract,” KeNHA said in responses to this publication.
The road is expected to provide a shorter route for motorists travelling between Kericho and Western Kenya once complete. It will also reduce reliance on the busy Kisumu City roads and the heavily used Ahero-Awasi corridor, easing traffic and improving movement across the region.
Construction began after KeNHA awarded the contract to two companies, with works officially starting in September 2021 under a 36-month schedule. The authority also released an advance payment of Sh1.38 billion to facilitate implementation of the project.
However, work stopped in August 2023 after the contractors suspended construction and left the site, citing a lack of adequate funding. Since then, progress has remained slow.
According to KeNHA, the project had reached only 30 per cent completion by April 2026.
The 44-kilometre road is being built in phases. The first 12.6-kilometre section runs from Mambo Leo to Miwani and includes a 6.5-kilometre dual carriageway. Another section stretches about 20 kilometres from Miwani to Chemelil, while the remaining part continues through Muhoroni to Kipkelion.
The latest audit by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu listed the road among stalled projects under KeNHA, raising concern over delays that have affected several road developments across the country.
The Kisumu-Kericho road is one of many infrastructure projects that slowed down after contractors complained about delayed payments. The stalled works have exposed road users to safety risks while increasing project costs through penalties.
To address the problem, the Kenya Kwanza administration has securitised Sh12 from the Sh25 fuel maintenance levy, a move expected to raise about Sh175 billion through commercial loans to clear pending contractor payments and support road construction.