A section of Kenyans have lauded the government for fast-tracking the construction of the crucial Gitaru Interchange saying that it is going to boost regional trade and spur economic growth.

Implemented by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the Gitaru Interchange is a key component of the ongoing rehabilitation and capacity enhancement of James Gichuru Road Junction to Rironi highway.

And, in his latest update, KeNHA Director General Engineer Luka Kimeli said once complete, the project will allow continuous traffic flow, reduce travel time, and ease congestion.

Gitaru Interchange is one of 580 stalled road projects that President Ruto’s administration recently revived through the securitisation of fuel levy, paving the way for the clearing of all pending bills owed to contractors in the roads sector.

“Securitisation enabled us to resume this critical project. In line with the President’s directive, the government is completing stalled road projects regardless of when they began or which administration started the road project because the Government is perpetual, and leaving unfinished projects from previous administrations punishes Kenyans,” Eng. Kimeli said.

He said that Gitaru Interchange takes the shape of the distinctive clover plant connected to a single stem, adding that it will be completed by June 30, 2026.

“One fun fact about the Gitaru interchange is the distinctive design inspired by a small, common plant that you all know, the four-loop cloverleaf, often regarded as a weed and known by different names,” he explained.

And, in Gitaru, locals said that the project will significantly cut travel costs and reduce the time spent on the road, opening up surrounding areas by improving and easing connectivity.

A crucial artery in the country’s transport system, Gitaru Interchange, is now 85 per cent complete and is expected to be ready for handover soon.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), which is in charge of the project, says that the Gitaru Interchange, which is slightly more than 5.5 kilometres long and has four cloverleafs, is going to revolutionise transportation.

It connects the Southern Bypass, Western Bypass and the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, revolutionising road transport. At the same time, service roads have also been built connecting to the Western Bypass. 

It also connects Rironi and Western Bypass, Southern Bypass and Nairobi, Rironi and Southern Bypass, and Southern Bypass to Nairobi. It links the Western Bypass to Nairobi as well as the Western Bypass to Rironi.

A key pillar of President Ruto’s infrastructure development agenda, the interchange also links Southern Bypass and the Western Bypass and boasts of a dual carriageway.

Once complete, the interchange will streamline traffic flow, improve access to and from Kikuyu town and enhance overall connectivity between Nairobi and the central and western regions of the country.

Locals have expressed hope that the interchange would soon open up the area for trade, noting that the project will have a ripple effect on the economy at all levels, both locally and nationally.

George Larama, a poultry trader, said that the Gitaru Interchange is going to significantly boost business in Gitaru and adjacent areas.

“The way this road has been expanded, it is going to shorten the distance, and businesses will expand. I work in Gitaru and also in Nairobi as a supplier of chicks; Sometimes traveling with my car, so this road project is going to help a lot,” he said.

“I am telling you, it’s easy now to go to Nairobi. No matter what time you wake up. “In the past, people used to go up to Zambezi in order to make a turn to Nairobi. But when someone comes from Kikuyu, this intervention will be very good,” he stated.

Larama said that the interchange is going to reduce travel time while connecting many major roads seamlessly. “If you are going to Mombasa Road, it is easy. And those who go towards Ruaka, it is easy because the road is good,” he said.

He said that movement will also improve significantly once the construction of the elevation is completed.

He said: “If someone comes from Kikuyu or if you want to go to Kikuyu, it becomes very simple. Now we would like this section to be completed too, so that now the task of going anywhere would be easier.”

Other residents, like Apostle Paul Mosoti expressed hope that the road project will enhance business and job opportunities. “This road project is called interchange; they have built it very well, and it will bring good things and development because it connects with many parts of the country,” he said.

“So this road has helped a lot. When the remaining part is completed, it will benefit people even more. So we pray that if this section is completed, it will be very easy for us to go to Nairobi,” he added.

President Ruto has announced an ambitious road expansion programme where the government intends to increase the number of tarmacked roads from the current 20,000 kilometres to 28,0000 in the next seven years.

“We are already on course, we have mapped out what the areas are, and we believe that we can raise the resources to undertake this transformation,” President Ruto said during the New Year Diplomatic Briefing at State House, Nairobi.