Kindiki launches construction of Sh7.5 billion Nithi Bridge

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has directed the contractor on the Sh7.5 billion Nithi Bridge project to speed up construction and maintain high engineering standards, as the government begins work on a new crossing expected to address decades of fatal accidents.

The 880-metre bridge, which will rise 100 metres above the Nithi River, will connect Marima and Mitheru through 2.7 kilometres of approach roads along the Nairobi-Embu-Meru highway.

The project, expected to take 24 months to build, is expected to improve road safety and transport along the busy highway linking central Kenya to the eastern and northern parts of the country.

Speaking during the commencement of construction works in Maara Constituency, Tharaka-Nithi County, on Thursday, October 22, Kindiki said the government had secured funding for the project and would not tolerate unnecessary delays.

He said the new bridge was the culmination of decades of appeals by residents who have witnessed deadly accidents at the existing crossing, which was constructed in 1985.

“From 1985, we began pleading with the government to design and build a new bridge. For 17 years, during President Moi’s administration, the government did not have the money to construct a new Nithi Bridge,” Kindiki said.

The Deputy President noted that successive administrations had failed to deliver the project despite repeated demands from residents.

He recalled that residents expected the bridge to be built during the administration of former President Mwai Kibaki, especially after his victory in the 2002 General Election.

“We thought that now that our own man was in power, the Nithi Bridge would be built. For the ten years of the Kibaki presidency, we pleaded, cried and petitioned for a new, modern bridge, but the government did not have enough funds to build it,” he said.

Kindiki said the subsequent administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta also left office without constructing the bridge, despite his involvement in Kenyatta's legal defence at the International Criminal Court alongside President William Ruto.

“I thought that the man I had helped at The Hague, together with his deputy, would ensure that the Nithi Bridge was built. But was it possible? The money was not available,” he said.

The Deputy President attributed the commencement of the project to the current administration's efforts to stabilise the economy and settle outstanding payments owed to contractors before expanding infrastructure development.

“When President William Ruto took office, we found the economy in a difficult position,” Kindiki said.

He cited the reduction of fertiliser prices from Sh7,000 to Sh2,500 per 50-kilogramme bag as one of the measures the government had undertaken to support farmers.

Kindiki further said the government had cleared Sh177 billion in pending payments owed to contractors, enabling stalled road projects to resume.

He added that engineers had been instructed to develop a more ambitious bridge design after an initial proposal estimated at between Sh1.7 billion and Sh1.8 billion was considered inadequate to address the safety challenges at the crossing.

“We have suffered enough misfortune here, and we do not want any more problems,” he said.

The existing Nithi Bridge has been associated with numerous fatal accidents, with vehicles, including buses and lorries, plunging into the river below. The new structure is intended to provide a safer crossing for motorists using the highway.

Beyond the bridge, Kindiki announced plans to construct an additional 515 kilometres of tarmacked roads across Tharaka Nithi County, covering Maara, Chuka Igambang'ombe and Tharaka constituencies.

He warned the contractor against delays, saying the government would take action against firms that failed to meet agreed implementation targets.

“If he does not, I will dismiss him and bring in a contractor who will speed up the work because the time is now,” Kindiki said.

The government is expected to complete the bridge within the planned 24-month period, with the Deputy President insisting that the urgency of the project must be matched by quality workmanship and adherence to engineering standards.