The Wikililye-Katulani section of the B61 road in Kitui has reached 66 per cent completion as the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) advances a project that had previously stalled.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The section forms part of the wider Wikililye-Katulani-Kavisuni-Kanyangi-Wote road network planned to connect Kitui and Makueni counties.

KeNHA’s board issued the progress update after inspecting the ongoing works on Friday, September 25, to assess the progress and quality of construction.

“66% complete and moving forward. The KeNHA Board inspected the Wikililye-Kavisuni-Kanyangi-Wote Road, Section 1: Wikililye-Katulani (B61) and commended the pace and quality of works,” the authority wrote in an update.

📌 What You Need to Know

The wider project was launched in 2022 with an expected completion date of 2024, but work stalled and resumed a few months ago.

In July, President William Ruto mentioned the road while speaking in Kitui, saying the government intended to continue extending the route towards Makueni.

Weeks later, Kitui leaders confirmed that the project had resumed with 4.1 kilometres of the section already tarmacked at the time.

According to Kitui County Assembly Speaker Kevin Katisya, the contractor had indicated that the remaining 15 kilometres in Kitui would be completed by December .

During Friday’s inspection, KeNHA officials also met with the Kitui County Commissioner to raise concerns over land acquisition challenges affecting projects in the county.

“The Board also paid a courtesy call to the Kitui County Commissioner, where land acquisition challenges affecting ongoing projects were raised. The County Commissioner committed to working with KeNHA to address land acquisition issues and clear the way for timely project implementation across the county,” KeNHA said.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke