Progress of Ongoing Construction of 42km Ukia-Emali Road Project in Makueni [Photos]

The ongoing construction of the 42-kilometre Ukia-Emali (B107) Road in Makueni County has registered significant progress and is on course for completion.

In an update on Thursday, September 10, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the road project was launched by President William Ruto in November 2025 as part of efforts to improve transport infrastructure and connectivity in the region.

According to the PS, its first phase involves upgrading the 20-kilometre Emali-Matiliku section to bitumen standards; the project is expected to eventually link Emali, Matiliku and Ukia, with future connectivity to Wote Town.

Commenting on the importance of reliable infrastructure, Omollo said roads were critical to supporting meaningful development, while accusing some leaders of prioritising political disputes over improving the lives of residents.

"No meaningful development can take root without reliable roads and a strong transport network. Yet, some parts of the country have remained behind because their leaders have spent more time on petty politics than on improving the lives of their people," he wrote.

Omollo contrasted the progress of the road project with unfulfilled development promises by some political leaders, pointing to the project as an example of development reaching local communities.

"It is ironic to hear leaders who could not sweep their own backyards promising to fix the nation. Development, however, is measured by what reaches the people, and the Emali-Matiliku-Ukia corridor is a case in point," he added.

Omollo said the completed road would have a direct impact on agricultural production and trade in Makueni by improving access to key markets and reducing the cost of transporting goods.

"Once complete, the road will open up Makueni's productive agricultural areas, ease access to the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway (A1), reduce transport costs and strengthen the movement of people, goods and services to markets," he further said.

Elsewhere, the government has unveiled the newly-built Mogotio Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) Market in Baringo County.

In an update on Wednesday, September 9, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the market, which was commissioned by Ruto in January 2026, is now fully operational and has provided traders with a safer and more organised environment to conduct their businesses.

"Four years of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) have reshaped trade in different parts of the country, with several modern markets completed under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP). 

"Among them is the Mogotio ESP Market in Baringo County, commissioned by President William Samoei Ruto in January 2026," he wrote.

Omollo said the Mogotio market has moved traders away from congested roadside trading spaces by providing them with a safer, more organised and dignified environment.

"Now in full operation, the market has given traders a safer, more organised and dignified place to do business, moving commerce away from congested roadside spaces," he added.

Omollo noted that the facility has 204 smart stalls alongside cold-storage facilities and other supporting amenities designed to improve the handling and preservation of goods while creating better conditions for traders and customers.

"Its 204 smart stalls, cold-storage facilities and supporting amenities have improved the trading environment, strengthened the handling and preservation of goods and created better conditions for both businesses and customers," he noted.

Omollo further highlighted the range of facilities available at the market, saying they include spaces and services intended to make the facility a functional commercial hub for the wider community.

"The facility also provides a lactating room, food court, ICT room, SACCO office, ATM booth, modern sanitation facilities and rainwater harvesting infrastructure, making it a more functional commercial hub for the community," he further said.