Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago has asked the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to seek for more funding so that the two phases of the Eldoret by-pass are implemented concurrently to make it a dual carriage.
Mandago who spoke after hosting a delegation from the African Development Bank (AfDB) who are sponsoring the project and officials from the Treasury and KeNHA expressed the need for the by pass to be designed in a way that it will be effective.
He said with a single carriage road, the Sh5.1 billion project will only be able to ease traffic jam on the Uganda road that passes in the middle of Eldoret town by 45-50 percent.
The Governor said Eldoret is a key economic hub to not only the North Rift region but also Uganda and South Sudan hence need for a 'serious' bypass.
"This is a key town economically for the East African Community given the fact that neighboring counties get petroleum products from the Kenya Pipeline depot here hence need to have a bypass that will ease transport," said Mandago at the County headquarters on Tuesday.
"We need to build structures that will impact on our people's livelihoods positively and this is why I request that the bypass be a dual carriage," he added.
Similar sentiments were shared by Dr. Nyamajeje Caleb Weggoro, the Executive Director East Africa Constituency, The African Development Bank Group who expressed his readiness to lobby for more funds for the project.
"We cannot keep building the same roads like the ones done before independence. I agree with the governor that we need a dual carriage bypass and if a proposal for more funds reaches my table I won't hesitate to support it," Dr. Weggoro said.
With contractors, China Wu Yi company Ltd. already on the ground, construction works are expected to begin soon.
The 32-kilometer bypass will begin from Cheplaskei along Eldoret-Nakuru highway through to Kapseret trading center and end at Cheplaskei, Maili Tisa, on the Uganda road.
To be the first to get the latest Political News updates for free, WhatsApp the word "POLITICS" to 0717410719.