A fatal road accident on the Salgaa stretch on the Nakuru-Eldoret road. [Photo/KenyaTalk]
As he rolls out his second-term agenda and embarks on a legacy-shaping spree, President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration is keen on transforming the notorious Salgaa area from a killer stretch to a safe road.The project, which is set to begin in March this year, underscores the president's commitment to reducing road carnage, whose frequency and scale of loss has shocked many Kenyans.Principal Secretary John Musonik revealed the plans of the government when he appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Transport.He said the tender for the project had already been advertised to the public by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), adding that only contractors with the best record and credentials would be brought on board.''The Salgaa-stretch is very much part of our plans. As we speak, the Kenya National Highways Authority has advertised the tender so that those with the requisite credentials can apply. We expect to start the project in March this year,'' PS Musonik said while fielding questions from the members of the Transport Committee.According to Musonik, the project will involve a four-lane dual carriageway, a departure from the single carriageway that has seen a series of fatal head-on collisions.There will also be a separation at the 10-kilometre climbing section made possible by a barrier that will be erected.Three emergency runway truck rumps will also be constructed to ease congestion caused by trucks parked on the roads during emergencies.This is yet another measure that the government is putting in place to solve the long-standing issues that have made the 40-km road a nightmare for scores of Kenyans.The project will go a long way in restoring sanity on the Salgaa stretch and ease the worries of commuters who use it.Kenyans have long called for something to be done to reduce the carnage on the stretch and have been ignored by previous regimes.President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration will become the first government to respond to these cries by starting the project that will save many lives.