Road infrastructure is an enabling factor of economic growth that is pivotal especially in the realization of our development goals as outlined in Baringo’s CIDP-2018-2023. A thrive on Tourism, marketing of goods, labour mobilization, industrialization, mineral and energy exploitation, agricultural and other production activities ride on this factor. It is therefore central for us to direct our focus towards the development of this sector.
Baringo County government has started implementing a roads sector Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) dubbed ‘Imarisha Barabara Initiative’, a 100-day operation that aims to gravel, grade and maintain 600 km of road network across all the 30 wards of the County at a cost of Shs 80 Million.
The programme is designed to be high impact and targets to construct at least 20 km of road in each ward using County Government road equipment and hired machinery among them six excavators, 12 graders and 24 tippers with sixty youth involved in supplementing the existing officers. This operation that is envisaged to be an annual exercise categorizes Wards into five clusters of six Wards each and utilizes all the equipment simultaneously to finalize a section before going to another road based on a well worked out schedule.
The coming up of the programme was informed by the need to pull together resources and equipment and concentrate works on vital road network that can link several wards.
Security Roads
Our focus is on roads that can spur development and enhance peace and security like the more than 70km Churo- Atiletin-Plesian-Nasuur- Lochogia-Akwechatis road which will link Naudo-Riongo-Nginyang road hence Tiaty with Samburu, Turkana and Laikipia counties. This will create positive outcomes on our economy as it creates a direct connection between Nginyang, Amaya and Churo markets that have huge livestock trade potential.
The approach of awarding a tender to an individual contractor to do county road ended up spreading resources too thin hence desired results were not achieved, necessitating the shift to a targeted programme that concentrates resources to do the job in the shortest time.
Rural roads form bulk of our network in the county. To this end, we will continue opening up more rural roads and establish foot bridges to enhance movement and socio-economic linkages. The Eitui-Kaplaimoi road, Tuluongoi-Tian road are but few examples of new roads cutting through hills and challenging terrain. Additionally, the construction of another 120 km of murram roads will financed by Roads Maintenance Levy Fund through Constituency Development Funds
Urban infrastructure upgrade
We are committed to ensuring continued upgrade of our urban areas. Already, there are ongoing road tarmacking projects in all our major towns including Kabarnet, Eldama Ravine, Mogotio, Chemolingot, Marigat and Kabartonjo that will see the paving of one kilometer in each of the town. This will be accompanied by other town facelifts like cabro paving parking spaces, lighting and establishment of drainage systems.
Planning of urban areas is critical if all factors like public amenities, water and sewerage systems are to be properly laid down during development and future if future expansion is to be taken care of.
