Gov't to spend Ksh.4 billion to build, rehabilitate Nairobi roads - President Ruto

The government will build stalled and new roads in Nairobi County at the cost of Ksh.4 billion, President William Ruto has announced.

The President said the money will be used to construct new and rehabilitate old feeder roads that will ease mobility in the capital city.

Further, he assured that stalled roads started by the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) would be completed. 

"We will pick them all up, finish them and do more so that Nairobi can be the city we will all be proud to live in," he said.

President Ruto made the remarks during a Sunday service at the United Pentecostal Church of Kenya in Dagoretti North, expressing his determination to improve the city's living standards.

"Nairobi cannot remain behind as other regions of Kenya make progress, and there's no way Kenya will move forward if Nairobi lags behind," he said.

He pledged to rehabilitate Nairobi River and clean it in the next two years.

"I have told the people of this city to give me this year and the next, and Nairobi River will be clean," President Ruto said.

He said the government is finalising the contract before the end of January for the clean-up and modernisation of the Nairobi River Basin.

On water challenges in the capital city, the President announced that he will soon commission the Nothern Collector Tunnel that will supply an additional 140 million litres of water to Nairobi estates.

He also announced that 5,000 school classrooms have been built in Nairobi County, while more funds will be set aside to build more classrooms this financial year.

President Ruto said this is part of the government's affirmative action to raise education standards in the city, especially in informal settlements.

The Head of State also pointed out that he was building 100 classrooms in Nairobi with his personal resources, including at Nairobi, Lenana Primary and Jamhuri schools, and State House Girls.

"I mean business on matters of education of the children of Nairobi City," he said.

President Ruto later inspected the construction of a science complex, two dormitories and eight classrooms at Nairobi School.

Generally, he noted that increased government investment in education over the past two years have started bearing fruit.

"Even the (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination) results released this week demonstrate that education is improving. The performance has been better this year than last year," he said.

He pointed out that the economy is on a clear path of recovery, noting that inflation, the dollar exchange rate as well as interest rates have improved over the past two years.

He urged leaders to take advantage of the "historical moment" that led to the formation of the broad-based government to advance the country's development.

"We have a moment in history when God has put us together in a broad-based government so that we drive the development of our country faster," he said.

He asked the religious faiths and Kenyans to pray for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who is running for the candidacy of African Union Commission Chairperson, saying the position would raise Kenya's international profile.

"Pray for him as you pray for the nation because that position is not his; it is for the whole continent and us as a country," the President said.

Present at the service were Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, MPs and MCAs, among other leaders.