State department of Roads

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen has said that the Ministry of Roads and Transport needs to urgently raise resources to rehabilitate the aging Roads in the country and maintain the expansive road network.

He said that most of the road infrastructure network in Kenya had deteriotriorated due to lack of maintenance to the extent that they needed a total overhaul to continue serving the country effectively.

Murkomen said the Country's road network had grown to 239,122 kms up from 161,456 kms from 2016 when the fuel levy was introduced.

He said the effects of climate change had seriously damaged the road infrastructure network, and they needed Ksh. 37 Billion to restore the roads.

Murkomen said as a Ministry they consult widely to identify proposals that would enable them to raise road maintenance fuel levy funds without having to raise the price of fuel.

He lamented that budget cuts from the National Treasury had made it impossible for them to maintain the roads, pay contractors' pending bills, or start new road projects.

The Ministry conducted a stakeholder participation on the review of the road maintenance Levy order of 2016.
Present was the Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua, Director Geners of Kenya National Highway Authority,
Kenya Urban Roads Authority, Kenya Roads Board and. Kenya Rural Roads Authority.

The Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua today paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi Prof. Kiama Gitahi in his office.

The Principal Secretary and the Vice Chancellor discussed matters of road development in the university to improve accessibility and also provide a platform for civil and construction engineering students to have practical lessons.

Eng. Mbugua was at the University to officially open a Civil and Construction Engineering 2024 Conference

Present was the Chief Engineer Roads, Eng. James Kung'u, World Bank Project Coordinator Eng. James Theuri, Registrar of the Engineers Board of Kenya Eng. Margaret Ogai and Head of Quality Assurance Division, Eng. Nicholas Musuni

The Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua today presided over the official opening of the 2024 Civil and Construction Engineering Conference at the University of Nairobi.

The theme of the conference is "advancing research, innovation, and implementation for Kenya's economic transformation.

Eng. Mbugua commended the organisers of the conference saying it was timely and relevant as strategies will be formulated to propel the country to the next level of development.

The Principal Secretary said that the Ministry of Roads and Transport, through the Engineers Board of Kenya had forged a collaborative framework towards enhancing industry-academia linkages and enhancing research in our universities.
He said the collaboration between academia, industry and government will accelerate the attainment of the country's development agenda through innovative solutions.

Eng. Mbugua called upon universities to work closely with the professional regulator towards achieving more coherent and industry-aligned training.

Present was the Vice Chancellor for the University of Nairobi Prof. Kiama Gitahi, the Registrar of the Engineers Board of Kenya Eng. Margaret Ogai, the Chairman of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Dr. Simpson Osano, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Ayub Gitau and the World Bank Country Director Mr. Keith Hansen.

The State Department for Roads and its Agencies has a target of planting 23.7 million trees in the next one year.

Out of these, 3.7 million trees will be planted by the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen in the Ministry of Roads and Transport designated tree planting blocks of Gembe Hills in Homabay County and Dongo Kundu in Mombasa County.

The State Department for Roads Administration Secretary Mr. Chimwanga Mongo said this today when he presided over a tree planting exercise organised by the Kenya Roads Board (KRB)at Matathia Block in Uplands Forest Station.

During the exercise, 20, 000 trees were planted. KRB has adopted 20 Hectares of the Uplands Forest, in which they have plans to plant 10 million trees in the next five years.

Present were the Director of Administration Mr.Anyumba Nyamwaya, the CEO of the Kenya Technologists Registration Board (KETRB), Ms. Alice Mutai and representatives from KeNHA, KURA, KeRRA, EBK and KIHBT

The Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua today chaired a stakeholders' engagement forum on the draft road tolling policy.

Addressing the participants who are the key players in the transport sector, the PS urged them to interrogate the document critically and make positive proposals that would add value to the policy.

He said the Ministry would consult widely so that the policy would be inclusive to capture all the relevant aspects needed to make its implementation successful.
Eng Mbugua said that traffic demands in key corridors in the country had far exceeded their current capacity thereby increasing travel time due to congestion, unstable driving conditions, high wear and tear of Roads leading to increased cost of maintainance, high vehicle operating costs and increased number of accidents.

He said the government has attempted to expand some of the key high-traffic corridors its own revenue sources, borrowing from Bilateral and multilateral lenders like the African Development Bank, World Bank, EU, JICA and others. However, he noted that continued reliance on borrowing had become unsustainable as the government had exceeded its debt ceilings.

The PS said this called for innovative and sustainable funding for the maintenance and expansion of the road network in the country.

Eng. Mbugua said the primary objective of tolling was to raise additional funds directly from road users in a cost-effective and equitable manner in order to contribute to the sustainable development, rehabilitation and maintenance of Kenya's national road network.

Present were the Director General of KeNHA, KURA, KeRRA and KRB and the chairman of the Tolling Policy Taskforce Eng. Kefa Seda and the Matatu Owners Association Chairman, Dickson Mbugua

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen today held a meeting with elected leaders from Narok County in his office in Transcom House.

The legislators from the County, led by Senator Ledama Ole Kina presented a case for road infrastructure development in the region, arguing that they were badly maintained and needed to be upgraded.
The CS assured them that the Ministry would endeavor to complete all the planned road projects in the county to improve accessibility in the region and boost agriculture and tourism.

Present were the Principal Secretaries for Roads Eng. Joseph Mbugua and Transport, Mr. Mohamed Daghar, Director Generals for KeNHA, KURA, KeRRA and KRB.
Mps Present were, Rabecca Tonkei (Women Representative), Julius Sunkuli (Kilgoris)?Agnes Pareiyo ( Narok North), Kitilai Ntutu ( Narok South)? Gabriel Tong'oyo ( Narok West) and Lemankan Aramat (Narok East)

The Ministry of Roads and Transport World Bank Supported Project Implementation Team today held a meeting with the financier and Development Partner, to review the progress of the activities identified to facilitate the Ministry and other selected beneficiaries.

Some of the beneficiary entities that have been supported by the project include Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM), the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services (DoSHs), and the University of Nairobi (UoN).

The World Bank team commended the State Department of Roads for supporting and giving capacity to organizations that were indirectly involved in their programmes.

Present was the Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua.

The Principal Secretary for Roads, Eng. Joseph Mbugua, today joined the Road Tolling Policy Technical Working Group for a stakeholders' consultative forum to interrogate the Draft Road Tolling Policy.

The draft policy was formulated under the Ministry of Roads and Transport and focuses on road infrastructure financing in the country to enhance connectivity, road safety, ensure quality of life, emergency response, sustainability, and alleviating the tax burden.

The Principal Secretary called for a comprehensive and sustainable funding framework for the expansion, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the road infrastructure in the country to ensure effective development and maintenance of the road network.

The government is planning to integrate road tolling as a sustainable funding platform in the road sector.
Eng. Mbugua said the National Infrastructure Funding Policy is an enabler for social, economic, and strategic viability within the road infrastructure sector.
He also indicated that the enhanced tolling policy will act as a guiding principle for planning, prioritization, and governance.

Present were the PS Transport Mr. Mohamed-Daghar, PS Economic Planning, Mr. James Muhati, and Director Generals from KeNHA, KURA, KRB, and NTSA, among other stakeholders.

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen yesterday hosted elected leaders from Meru County to discuss road infrastructure development in the region.

Accompanied by the Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua and the Director Generals of KeNHA, KURA and KeRRA, the CS assured the leaders of the Ministry's commitment to ensuring that all planned road projects in the County are implemented within the agreed timeliness.

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen today held a performance review meeting with the management of the Road Agencies to assess the status of the road infrastructure in the country.

Accompanied by the Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua, the Cabinet Secretary met with all the Regional Directors from the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), the Kenya Urban Roads Authority(KURA) and Kenya Roads Board (KRB) to take stock of the State of Roads in the aftermath of the heavy rains that pounded the country recently.

Hon. Murkomen called upon the Agencies to have a coordinated approach in their efforts to upscale acceptable standards on road infrastructure development in the country.

Present were the Director Generals for KeNHA, KURA, KeRRA and KRB.

The Ministry of Roads and Transport will undertake eight road projects in Nyandarua County during the Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP4) implementation period.

This was said by the Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua today when he made a presentation on the MTP4 priorities for the county at the Nyandarua National Polytechnic.

He said that the MTP4 had been aligned to the government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and would see the development of the infrastructure for seed potato production in the Nyandarua Prison.

Under MTP4, there are projections to construct a county health facility in Engineer Hospital, installation of 214km of firebreaks in the Abardare National Park, and completion of the county headquarters in Nyandarua.
This period will also see the digitization of all payments into government to increase revenue collection and minimise the cost of collection.

Other development initiatives include the establishment and operationalization of the Primary Health care Networks (PCNs), build the capacity of both technical and extension workers on research and do a feasibility study on the extraction of bio-deposits fertilizer at Lake Olbolossot in Nyandarua County.

Present was the Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Rebecca Miano and the Principal Secretary for Industrialization Dr. Juma Mukhwana.

The Ministry of Roads and Transport, together with all its agencies, will plant more than 5.6 million trees in the next twelve months.

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen has been allocated Mombasa and Homabay Counties for the national tree planting exercise.

The State Department for Roads has been allocated 3.7 million trees, while the State Department for Transport has been allocated 1.9 million trees.

Hon. Murkomen announced that the Ministry had adopted the Homabay Gembe Hills Forest, in which they plan to plant over 5 million trees with support from the Kenya Forest Service and the Community Forest Association.

The Ministry planted a total of 16000 trees in Gembe Hills and in Mwangala, near the Dongo Kundu Bridge.

The Director for Administration in the State Department for Roads today presided over the monthly tree planting exercise in Homabay County and said that the State Department had planted more than 250,000 trees during this financial year 2023/2024.

The Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua today held a consultative meeting with officials from the Japanese Embassy, the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) and Fujita Corporation from Japan to discuss Japan donor-funded projects in Mombasa.

The projects include, the Mombasa Southern By-pass, Mombasa Port Area Roads phase ll ( Dongo Kundu Bypass/ MPARD II). The road project is jointly funded by JICA and the Government of Kenya, and runs over the Indian Ocean and connects Mombasa Island with the South Coast at Diani.

HE President William Ruto PhD, today launched the construction works for the upgrading to Bitumen standards of three link roads in Bungoma County.

The three link roads covering 27.3kms comprises of the Mayanja-Bisunu-Sirisia road (12.3km) in Kanduyi, Bumula and Sirisia Constituencies, the Nalondo-Mukhweya-Musese (8.0km) link road in Kabuchai Constituency, and the Mukhweya- Kimukung (7.0km) link road also in Kabuchai Constituency.

These roads will be constructed at a total cost of Kshs 1.1 Billion and will be funded by the Government of Kenya.
The project was awarded to M/s Spencol Contractors Limited and will be supervised by the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA).

Present were the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Moses Wetangula, Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, Bungoma Governor, Kenneth Lusaka, Bungoma Senator, David Wakoli Wafula and other local leaders

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, today engaged with the Senate Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing on implementation of road infrastructure programmes in the Financial year 2024/2025.

Accompanied by the Principal Secretary for Roads Eng. Joseph Mbugua, the CS engaged the Committee, led by Senator Karungo Thangwa on the Ministry of Roads and Transport's plans for the implementation of maintenance works funded by the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF).

Present were the Senate Committee members and the Director Generals of KeNHA, KURA and KeRRA, the Chief Engineer Roads and Senior Ministry officials.

The Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua today chaired a meeting to discuss the proposed Road tolling policy.
The Chairman of the Toll Policy Development Committee Eng. Kefa Seda took the meeting through the draft policy that has been developed.

The meeting discussed the road map towards actualizing the road tolling policy which will involve extensive stakeholder consultation.

The Cabinet Secretary Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen today presided over the national tree planting exercise in Homabay County.

Flanked by the Homabay County Governor HE Gladys Wanga and the Principal Secretaries for Roads Eng. Joseph Mbugua and Internal Security Dr. Raymond Omollo, the CS said their target for today, was to plant 100000 trees in the Gembe Hills Forest, which the Ministry of Roads and Transport has adopted.

He said they would support the local Community Forest Association(CFA) to maintain and protect the Forest until they achieve their target of planting 3 million trees in the next four years.

He said his Ministry will collaborate with the Kenya Forest Service and the Ministry of Interior and coordination of National government to ensure that the Forest is fully populated and fenced, so as to protect it from destruction and thereby mitigate the negative effects of adverse climate change currently affecting the country. He urged the community to plant trees and protect their Forest.

The Ministry of Roads and Transport also planted trees at Dongo Kundu and Aldina mangroves in Mombasa and at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in Nyeri.

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen today officially opened the 5th Engineering Partnership Convention at the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in Nyeri County.

He said the Convention whose theme is "Engineering @60: Reflections, Response, Resetting" provided a platform to showcase the critical role of Engineers in transformation. The CS said the convention was important because it was a time to reflect on the remarkable achievement in the past 60 years, respond to current challenges and reset the focus on a more sustainable future.

Hon Murkomen said that Engineers in the Roads and Transport sector create linkages that reduce trade barriers, improve market access, promote economic activities across the country and attract both domestic and foreign investment.

He announced the Ministry's commitment to acceding to the Washington Accord by June 2025 as a dedication to uphold global Engineering standards and ensure the recognition of Kenyan Engineering qualifications worldwide.

The CS said the Ministry will establish the Kenya School of Engineering which will play a pivotal role in enhancing training and governance in Engineering education and thereby produce a new generation of engineers equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle tomorrow's challenges.

Hon. Murkomen said they will prioritize the training of technical auditors to ensure robust oversight of Engineering projects and promote adherence to best practices. This he added, will definitely elevate the standards of the Engineering profession in the country.

Present was the deputy governor of Nyeri, Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua, the chairman of the Engineers Board of Kenya Eng. Erastus Mwongera, and the President of the World Federation of Engineers Eng. Mustapha Shehu.

The 5th Engineering Partnership Convention (EPC)began today at the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DEKUT) in Nyeri County.

The 4 day convention, organised by the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), in partnership with the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, will run from today to Friday 10th May.
The theme for this year's convention is " Engineering @60: Reflections, Response, Resetting."

The convention aims to provide a comprehensive platform for engineers, scientists, innovators, and stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions and knowledge exchange and envision the future of engineering.

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen today held a consultative meeting with elected leaders from Kiambu County to discuss road infrastructure development in the region.
Hon. Murkomen said that it was important for there to be regular consultation between the Executive and Legislature is key in identifying and unlocking the resources needed to complete pending road works across the country.

He noted that regular consultation between the Ministry and the various road agencies on the one hand and MPs, on the other, also helps enhance accountability and prioritisation of available resources.
This meeting builds on the foundation laid by the first consultative meeting held in July 2023, the meeting agreed on to address road safety concerns, recovery from damage caused by the ongoing floods, completion of ongoing road projects and road maintenance in Ruiru.
One of the outcomes of the meeting is the urgent need to classify and upgrade the fast-growing Ruiru Municipality to an urban centre whose roads should be maintained by the Kenya Urban Roads Roads Agency(KURA).

Present during the meeting was the Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua and Director Generals from KeNHA, Eng. Kung'u Ndung'u, KeRRA, Eng. Silas Kinoti and KURA, Eng. Philemon Kandie. Kiambu delegation was led by the Senator Thangwe Karungo, Anne Wamuratha ( Woman Rep), Kiragu Chege ( Limuru), George Koimburi ( Juja), Simon King'ara ( Ruiru), Alice Ng'ang'a ( Thika), Machua Waithaka ( Kiambu Town), Mburu Kahangara ( Lari), James Wamacukuru ( Kabete) Elijah Njoroge ( Gatundu North), Gabriel Kagombe ( Gatundu South) and John Njuguna Kawanjiku ( Kiambaa)

The State Department for Roads and its Agencies today planted 30,000 trees at Kabage Forest Station in Nyeri County.
Mr. Alfred Tanui, from the State Department of Roads, in conjunction with the Kenya Forest Service, led staff from the Nyeri regional office and from the Agencies to plant trees ahead of the 5th Engineering Convention to be held at the Dedan Kimathi University in Nyeri County from 7th to 10th May 2024.

The Agencies present were the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), the Kenya Roads Board (KRB), and the Kenya Engineering Technologists Registration Board (KETRB).

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen today held a meeting with elected leaders from Kilifi County to discuss road infrastructure development in the region.

He said that the Baricho bridge, whose works had been delayed, would be completed in the next two months after the requisite materials needed had been imported into the country.
He said the Ministry of Roads and Transport, through their Road Agencies had completed a total of 334.1 kilometers of Roads during the last financial year.

Hon. Murkomen said that they were currently undertaking a total of 247.7 kilometers of road projects during this financial year and had planned for 823 kilometers of Roads in the next financial year.

He said that the government planned to increase the Malindi Airport runway to 2.1 km to accommodate international flights.

Present were the Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua, Principal Secretary for Transport Mr Mohamed Daghar, Director Generals for KeNHA, Eng. Kung'u Ndung'u, KURA, Eng. Silas Kinoti, KeRRA, Eng. Philemon Kandie and Ag MD, KAA, Henry Ogoye. Kilifi leaders present include Hon. Owen Baya( Kilifi North), Hon. Paul Katana (Kaloleni), Hon.Anthony Mupe(Rabai), Hon.Amina Mnyanzi (Malindi), Ken Chonga (Kilifi South) and Women Rep, Hon. Getrude Mbeya

The Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua today presided over the seventh Special board meeting of the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) at Barabara Plaza.

Addressing the board, Eng Mbugua reminded them of the important role they played in implementing the last-mile connectivity programme that has enhanced rural connectivity in all parts of the country.

He said the Low Volume Seal Road( LVSR) programme had enhanced the visibility of the Authority with its outstanding projects all over the country and applauded them because these projects had attracted presidential visits. The president has visited at least 30 of the Agency's projects.

The PS called for synergy in their operations and cautioned them against contravening government protocols in their implementation of projects.

Present were the Board Chair Prof. Mbeche and KeRRA DG Eng. Philemon Kandie

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen held a meeting with leaders from Mombasa County to discuss the State of road infrastructure, drainage challenges, port and airport operations and expansion, and road safety, among other vital infrastructure issues affecting the county.
Hon. Murkomen directed the road agencies to work with contractors to fast track the completion of pending projects whose allocations have been approved.
He urged them to incorporate in new construction works safety elements such as road markings, safer infrastructure designs, non-motorized transport components, and proper street l8ghting to help avert road accidents.
He lauded
devolution, which promised equitable development and distribution of national resources to the counties.
The CS noted that as a staunch supporter of this form of governance, he has engaged counties' elected leadership since assuming office on expanding road networks and improving the transport sub-sector in the regions.
The meeting was attended by the Principal Secretaries Joseph Mbugua (Roads) and Mohamed Daghar (Transport), and the CEOs of State Agencies in Ministry of Roads and Transport.
Mombasa leaders present were Senator Mohamed Faki and MPs Zamzam Mohamed (Mombasa), Badi Twalib (Jomvu), Machele Mohamed (Mvita), Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe), Rashid Bedzimba (Kisauni), Mishi Mboko (Likoni) and Mohamed Ali (Nyali), as well as County Assembly Speaker Aharub Khatri.

The 5th Engineering Partnership Convention will be held on 7th to 10th May 2024 in Nyeri County.
The convention organised by the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) will be held in partnership with the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology and its theme is. " Engineering @60: Reflections, Response, Resetting".

The convention aims to provide a comprehensive platform for Engineers? Scientists, innovators and stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions, knowledge exchange, and envision the future of engineering.

The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Hon Kipchumba Murkomen said today that the convention aimed to showcase Kenya's engineering innovations, celebrate and honor the accomplishments and milestones in Engineering over the past 60 years and address the current global challenges and explore how engineering can contribute to solving them.

In a speech read on his behalf by the Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua during the media launch for the convention at a Nairobi Hotel, the CS said the convention would Foster collaborations and networking among professionals, innovators, researchers, policy makers academia and organisations.

Key activities will include plenary sessions, technical sessions, workshops and tutorials, panel discussions, innovation Fair and networking opportunities.

Present was the chairman of the Engineers Board of Kenya Eng. Erastus Mwongera, President of the Institute of Engineers of Kenya , Eng. Shama Kiteme and Registrar of EBK Eng. Margaret Ogai.

The Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua joined senior government officials comprising of all Principal Secretaries, chairpersons, Director Generals and Chief Executive officers (CEOs)of all State Agencies in a two-day interactive and consultative conference to assess the status of the ongoing campaign to revitalise and re-energize regulatory Authorities and Agencies in Kenya, against the background of emerging issues.

The conference was organised by the office of the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service and its theme was "Regulatory Authorities and Agencies as Critical Agents in the front line of achieving the Kenya Kwanza promise of Premier service delivery to Kenyans".

Eng Mbugua was one of the presenters during the conference and made a presentation on approaches to revitalization and re-energizing the regulatory Authorities and Agencies in the Roads sector.

The conference was held at the Kenya School of Government, Mombasa and was officially opened by the Prime Cabinet Secretary Hon Musalia Mudavadi and was attended by the Mombasa Governor HE Abdullswamed Sharrif Nassir and Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Mr Felix
Koskei.

The Principal Secretary for Roads Eng Joseph Mbugua met elected leaders from Kisii County to discuss road infrastructure development in the County.
The Principal Secretary outlined the plans the Ministry of Roads and Transport had for developing the road infrastructure in the region.
Led by majority whip in the National Assembly Hon. Sylvanus Osoro, the leaders appealed to the Ministry to develop infrastructure in the region so as to improve its accessibility and open the area for investment opportunities and market accessibility for their agricultural produce.
Present were the Director Generals for KeNHA Eng. Kung'u Ndung'u, KURA, Eng. Silas Kinoti and KeRRA Eng. Philemon Kandie